


The Halls of Valhalla

by shipallllltheships



Category: Lost Girl
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-16
Updated: 2016-01-25
Packaged: 2018-01-19 16:20:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 15
Words: 39,618
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1476151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shipallllltheships/pseuds/shipallllltheships
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Spoilers for S4 finale! Set immediately after 4x13. Kenzi has just sacrificed herself to save the world and must now navigate an entirely new plane of existence. Aka: Kenzi's adventures in Valhalla. Mostly Kenzi and Tamsin and some original characters, a bit of the rest of the gang.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I was more than a little disappointed in how S4 went down. But as soon as it ended, all I wanted to do was write about Kenzi in Valhalla. For the purposes of this story, I'm pretending that that final scene with Tamsin and Dyson and the Hel shoe did not happen (because I don't really care to speculate where the writers are going with that). But I'll try to keep to canon as much as possible. 
> 
> Also, just so it's clear, I ship Valkubus and not Doccubus, haha. But Bo has been a hot mess, so I'm going to try to stay true to that. This fic won't be explicitly Valkubus, but there will definitely be elements of it (because I can't really help it). 
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

Kenzi sat up, rubbing her eyes groggily. She blinked several times, but it was dark, too dark to see.

"Hello?" she called hesitantly. Her voice echoed, traveling around the room and bouncing back to her. She stood up and started walking slowly, arms outstretched in front of her. Her eyes began to adjust and she could finally make out a few vague shapes to her right. She headed towards them, deciding she had basically no other options. Keeping her arms out in front of her, she moved to her right. She had only taken a few steps before she tripped and went sprawling forward, landing flat on her face.

"Oof." She stood up and brushed off her clothes. She reached down, feeling around the ground, trying to figure out what she tripped on. Her fingers touched sand, or fine dirt. She couldn't find anything on the ground; she must have just gotten her heel stuck in the ground.

"Next time I sacrifice myself to stop an apocalypse, I'm totally not wearing my Jimmy Choos," she muttered to herself. She pulled her boots off, one by one, and placed them carefully on the ground, not holding out much hope that she'd find them again. "Goodbye, old friends," she said, giving them a final caress. She stood up straight and looked around. Her eyes had definitely adjusted. The shadowy shapes in front of her had taken on a more concrete form. It seemed to be some kind of archway made of giant stones or sculptures or something. She moved forward, looking at the ground, trying to make sure she didn't step on anything gross. The ground was surprisingly soft and easy to walk on, so she continued on.

"Ok, Kenzi. Giant freaky-deeky archway in a huge, empty, dark room. Possibly inside of a hell portal. Walk through it?" She considered for a moment, then shrugged. "Yep, walk through it." She took a step forward and then she was underneath the arch. She looked up in awe; the arch had to be almost fifty feet tall. She walked to one side of it and touched it. There were inscriptions, some kind of runes, but Kenzi didn't have any idea how to read it. She traced one of the letters, and it suddenly began to glow. The runes began to light up, one by one. After the blackness of the room, the lights were blinding. Kenzi narrowed her eyes, squinting up at the runic letters, trying to see if there was anything she understood. Suddenly, the entire arc was enveloped in a bright golden glow, with Kenzi in the center of it. She felt herself lifted off the ground and she cried out. She waved her arms around, trying to free herself, but she just floated there.

A voice boomed out loudly. "You should not struggle. You are not in danger."

Kenzi kicked her legs. "Excuse me if I don't want to just take your word on that."

The voice continued. "Your soul is safe."

"Ok!" Kenzi yelled. "That's great! But my body is floating 25 feet in the air with no visible means of support!"

Kenzi's body suddenly stiffened. Her back arched and she screamed. It felt like her body was on fire. She tried to control her breathing, but the pain was unbearable. The golden light dissipated as suddenly as it had appeared and Kenzi fell to the ground with a thud. She groaned as she lifted her head. "Totally safe, huh?" she screamed out. She flew to her feet, then realized that she wasn't in any pain. She had just fallen twenty-five feet onto solid ground, but she felt completely fine. In fact, she felt strong. She felt stronger than she ever had in her life. She shook her legs out, taking a few steps forward. "Ok. What's the deal, disembodied voice? What the hell is this?"

A figure appeared in front of her. Kenzi backed away quickly, but immediately felt hands on her back. She whirled around and saw that she was completely surrounded.

"Woahh there," she said, raising her hands quickly. "No touchy!"

One of the figures spoke. "Welcome, Mackenzie Malikov."

Kenzi spun around, trying to figure out which one had spoken. "Yeah, this is some welcome." Before she could speak again, all of the figures bent onto one knee, kneeling before her and lowering their heads. "Umm…"

One of the figures stood up. "Welcome, wounded warrior. Valhalla awaits."

Kenzi's jaw dropped. "Holy shit, it actually worked? I'm in Valhalla? Where's Tamsin?"

"The Valkyrie did her duty, she has transported you here. Your paradise awaits once you complete one final task."

Kenzi narrowed her eyes. "Hold up. I died in battle. I was chosen. A Valkyrie picked my soul to live in Valhalla for eternity. I thought that was all that had to happen!"

"You are a warrior. No one doubts that. But your death was not under the Valkyrie's control. You chose to die. You were transported here, that is true. But you must prove your worth before you can enter the hallowed halls of Valhalla."

Kenzi's eyes widened. "Shit."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I don't think you understand," Kenzi spoke desperately. "I'm just a human! I don't have any special skills. Well, other than shopping. And eyeliner, but I don't think that's quite what you're looking for here!"

The figure continued dressing Kenzi. She was now wearing a dark, flowing robe with a white rope tied around her waist. The figure knelt in front of her. "Please lift your foot."

Kenzi glanced down. "Hold up. You are not putting those fugly things anywhere near my perfectly manicured feet. And please stop changing the subject."

The figure stood. Kenzi had still been unable to determine who or what these shadowy guys were. It was like their faces were blurred out. They wore hooded robes, and they seemed to be human shaped. But it was an unnerving affect overall. It raised its head and Kenzi got the distinct impression that it was staring directly into her eyes. "You have two options. You can prove your worth and enter Valhalla, or you can descend into the Underworld and spend eternity surviving the goddess Hel. Choose now."

Kenzi gulped. "Well, when you put it that way…" She lifted her foot and the figure knelt back down and slipped flat black shoes onto her feet.

Once Kenzi was fully clothed, the figure turned away. "Please wait here, Mackenzie." Kenzi began pacing back and forth, her heart racing.

_What the hell did you get yourself into, Malikov? This was supposed to be simple. Sacrifice yourself, save the world, wait for Bo to rescue you in Valhalla. Piece of cake. Leave it to me to even manage to screw up dying. Prove my worth? The whole reason I'm here is because I'm more useful to the world dead than alive. I'm totally screwed._

She stopped pacing and looked up, terrified, as three of the figures approached her. They spoke in unison. "It is time."

She stared at them for a moment. "That is just freaky." She threw up her hands in defeat. "Ok, screw it, let's do this. What do I have to do?"

They led her to a brightly lit area just past the archway. As they stood there, one of them spoke. "Mackenzie. You will be faced with a foe. You must defeat them in order to enter Valhalla."

"Great," Kenzi muttered. "A cage match. Perfect."

The shadowy figure continued. "To ensure a fair fight, you have been granted the same physical strength as your foe."

Kenzi looked shocked. "Is that why I feel so great?"

The figure nodded. "You will be evenly matched physically, but your mental acuity has not changed. You may have to rely on your intelligence in order to defeat your foe."

Kenzi winced. "Um. Can we maybe put some of that muscle juice into my brain? See what happens?"

"We wish you luck, Warrior." With those words, they backed away slowly. Kenzi looked around, but she couldn't see anyone else.

"Wait! So, my foe? Are they coming? Should I just…wait here?"

Kenzi heard a noise behind her and whirled around. Her eyes widened and she began backing away, scrambling over rocks. "Nope. Nope, nope, nope, nope."

Her foe had appeared. A large woman, twice as tall as Kenzi, she was wearing a gladiator-style outfit with criss-crossing leather straining to hold her chest in place. Her arms were approximately the size of Kenzi's torso, and her legs were like tree trunks. She was holding a sword in one hand and a shield in the other.

Kenzi stared at her, eyes huge and terrified. "Hey! Shadow-men! Swords? She has a sword! Do I get a sword?"

The woman smiled, her eyes cold. She tossed her sword on the ground. It landed with a massive thud a few feet from Kenzi. "Feel free, human."

Kenzi walked over to the sword without taking her eyes off of the woman. It was as long as her entire body, and she knew immediately she had no hope of lifting it. "Ok," she conceded. "Fair point. But you shouldn't use it either!"

The woman's smile widened. "I don't think that will be a problem." She advanced towards Kenzi, who let out a small squeak and scrambled backwards. The woman laughed. "This won't even be fair. You're useless, human."

Kenzi glared up at her. She was sick of this. She had just killed herself in order to save the world. She had killed herself for Bo, and Dyson, and Trick, and Tamsin. She had killed herself because she was the only one who could have stopped the zombie apocalypse, and she killed herself because Bo loved her. And Bo had never underestimated her, not once. She had been worth more to Bo than this Sasquatch of a woman could ever understand. She pulled herself to her feet, eyes narrowed.

"I am not useless." She swung her arm and punched the woman in the leg. She groaned and fell to her knees. Kenzi looked down at her fist, her eyes wide. "Holy shit." She glanced at the woman, who was starting to pull herself back up. Having seen what kind of strength she now possessed, Kenzi knew that she did not want that force used against her. She raced around the woman and ran around the arch, pressing her back against it. She heard the woman's heavy footsteps moving slowly towards her. Kenzi held her breath. She saw the woman's shadow silhouetted in the arch, and Kenzi moved quickly. She darted underneath the woman's legs and punched her, hard, in the lower back. She fell to her knees and Kenzi followed that up with a blow to the back of her neck. The woman cried out, falling forwards. She pushed herself up and whirled around, lunging at Kenzi. Kenzi dodged to her right, and the woman missed grabbing her by a few inches. Kenzi swung her leg up and kicked the woman in the face. She swung her arms at Kenzi, this time managing to grab the edge of her robe. She pulled Kenzi towards her as Kenzi struggled to free herself. The woman lifted her into the air and stood up. Kenzi was now about fifteen feet about the ground, and the woman had her by the neck. She struggled to breathe, but the woman's grip was relentless. Kenzi swung her arms uselessly, not even coming close to the woman's body. She was getting lightheaded. She wasn't sure what happened when you died if you were already dead, but she suspected that she was about to find out. The woman began to laugh. Kenzi was losing consciousness, but at the woman's laughter, her anger swelled again. She reached up and dug her sharp nails into the woman's arm, drawing blood. The woman screamed and released Kenzi with one hand, but that was enough. Kenzi swung her body forward, managing to kick the woman in the chest. She stumbled backwards and dropped Kenzi, catching herself with the arm that wasn't bleeding. Kenzi backed up and waited for the woman to move towards her again. The woman stood up, glaring at Kenzi and grabbing her bleeding arm.

"I was just going to kill you. But now, I'm going to make this painful."

Kenzi smiled. "Bring it on, bitch,"

The woman dove at Kenzi. She dodged right, and the woman tried again. This time, when Kenzi dodged, the woman couldn't stop herself in time. She slammed into one of the columns at the edge of the circle of light, and it crumbled. Before she could move, the column collapsed on top of her. She groaned as stone rained down on her. Kenzi walked over to her slowly. The woman's body was visible underneath the column, and she was struggling slightly. Kenzi walked around her so that she could see her face. "Who's useless now, suckah?" She crowed. She kicked the woman in the head and it rolled to the side. The woman stopped moving, and Kenzi exhaled. Suddenly, the woman's body disappeared. "What?" Kenzi looked around, confused.

The columns surrounded the lighted area were dissolving. The light seemed to be getting brighter. Kenzi looked over at the arch and gasped. The stone was transforming before her eyes. In a few seconds, it was no longer a stone arch. Instead, it was an ornate gold gate. The shadowy figures had reappeared and were standing in front of the gate. Kenzi walked to them. They slowly pulled their hoods back, and Kenzi gasped as their faces were revealed. They were all beautiful blonde women. Kenzi smiled. They reminded her of Tamsin. She realized they must be Valkyrie. They were all smiling gently at her.

One of them spoke. "Congratulations, Warrior. You have earned your place in the halls of Valhalla."

Kenzi looked at each of them in turn. "Seriously?"

They nodded, then turned and pushed open the gate. Kenzi stepped forward and peered through. She gasped.

"Welcome to Valhalla, Mackenzie."


	2. Chapter 2

Kenzi took a step forward. As she passed through the gate, she again felt it's golden glow on her skin. It was warm, and seemed to be giving her strength. She had been sore from her battle, but she was in no pain now. She was staring at the most beautiful landscape she had ever seen. She seemed to be standing on top of a cliff, gazing down into a basin of clear blue water into which hundreds of waterfalls poured. The rivers and falls seemed to stretch on forever. Kenzi had never seen anything like it. She stood for a moment, staring in awe. Suddenly, she heard a strangled yelp from behind her and Kenzi was on the ground. She threw her hands up, ready to defend herself, then realized that the blonde figure on top of her was Tamsin. Kenzi was shocked to realize that she was sobbing.

"Hey, Tammy, it's ok." Kenzi patted her on the back awkwardly.

Tamsin took a deep breath and got up. She pulled Kenzi to her feet then, glaring at her, punched her hard in the shoulder.

"Hey! What was that for?"

"You! You're such an idiot! How could you do something so stupid?" Tamsin had composed herself somewhat, but her eyes were still red and puffy and Kenzi could see she was genuinely pissed.

"Um, hellooooo?" Kenzi waved her hands in front of Tamsin's face. "In case you haven't noticed, we're in Valhalla." She shrugged. "My plan worked perfectly."

Tamsin rolled her eyes. "Listen, you crazy human. Next time, can you fill me in on your plan a little sooner? I could have made this a lot easier for you. You still don't even understand how dangerous this was."

"What do you mean?"

"Kenzi," Tamsin explained, trying to be patient, "If you hadn't won your battle in there, you wouldn't have made it to Valhalla, you would have gone to Fólkvangr. Which, don't get me wrong, it's a great place. But I can't get to you there! Valkyrie are only allowed to cross into Fólkvangr once every millenium. You would have been completely stuck there."

"Oh." Kenzi responded, nodding slightly. "My bad. But T, I had to sacrifice myself. I had to save everyone." She hesitated. "By the way, did it work?"

Tamsin rolled her eyes again. "Yes, it worked. Everyone is fine, sort of. But next time, let me PUSH YOU into the hell portal? I'm a VALKYRIE, Kenzi. I have to CHOOSE you to die in battle in order for you to go straight to Valhalla. Jesus."

"Ok, ok!" Kenzi held up her hands in surrender. "Next time I'm the key to stopping an apocalypse, I will make sure you are the one to kill me. I promise."

"Thank you," Tamsin responded, shaking her head. "That's all I ask." She looked at Kenzi seriously for a minute, then reached over and hugged her tightly. Her voice was low. "I can't believe you're dead, Kenzi."

Kenzi squeezed back. "Hey, I'm right here."

Tamsin pulled away. "No, Kenzi, you're not. This isn't, like, just a room you're stuck in. We're on a different plane of existence right now. You can never go back to Earth. I'm just lucky that I can travel back and forth. You can't."

"But Bo - "

"No, Kenzi." Tamsin interrupted her. "Bo is strong and incredibly powerful. But not even she can bring you back. I'm so sorry."

Kenzi shook her head stubbornly. "No. Bo will find a way. She'll never stop trying."

Tamsin let it go. "I hope you're right," she said sadly.

Kenzi looked at Tamsin carefully. "Are you ok, Tam-Tam?"

Tamsin furrowed her brow, looking away. "When I saw you lying there...Kenzi, I just fell apart. I knew you might be gone for good. I knew if I brought you to the gate you at least had a chance. But then I wasn't allowed in, I wasn't allowed to see your fight. I was freaking out. You can't do that to me, ok? You're too important to me."

Kenzi smiled at her gently. "I'm sorry, T. I won't do it again, I promise." She paused for a minute, then looked at Tamsin, her eyes full of sadness. "How's Bo?"

Tamsin looked down. "She's bad, Kenzi. I've never seen her like this. She hasn't said a word, she's almost catatonic. Trick gave her something to force her to sleep. I have to go back soon and check on her."

Kenzi grabbed Tamsin's hand. "Take care of her for me, ok, T? I know how much you care about her. You have to make sure she's ok."

Tamsin shook her head sadly. "I'll do what I can but...I'm not you, Kenzi. She doesn't trust me the way she trusts you."

Kenzi stared into Tamsin's eyes, her voice low and urgent. "Make her, Tammy. I see the way you look at her. I can see it, even if she hasn't yet. Make her understand what she means to you. And keep her safe until we're back together."

Tamsin nodded. "Ok, Kenzi. I will. I promise."

Kenzi sighed. She released Tamsin's hand and looked around. "So, isn't there supposed to be some kind of party here? Mead? Hot ladies bearing mead?"

Tamsin laughed. "Since when are you interested in hot ladies?"

Kenzi shrugged. "When in Valhalla, amirite?"

Tamsin spun her around gently and pointed. "That's where you want to go."

Kenzi gazed up at the hall perched on the mountain in front of her. It was made of solid gold, it's walls glittering in the sun. She could just make out the ornately carved golden pillars that surrounded the front door. She looked at Tamsin. "Do I have to hike up there? Not cool."

Tamsin smirked. Suddenly, two Valkyrie landed with soft thuds on either side of Kenzi. Kenzi looked back and forth between them. They both had wings. "Um..."

"Warrior, may we accompany you to the Great Hall of Valhalla?"

Kenzi grinned at Tamsin. "You coming, Tammy?"

She shook her head. "I have to head back to Earth. I'll come visit as often as I can, ok?" She reached over and gave Kenzi one final hug. They pulled apart, and Tamsin took her hand. "Enjoy Valhalla, ok? You deserve it."

With that, she nodded to the two Valkyrie. They placed their arms underneath Kenzi, pressing her legs softly until she bent her knees and found herself sitting on their arms. They spread their wings wide and took off. Tamsin could hear Kenzi shrieking happily as they flew off.

"I could get used to thissssss..."

She smiled, turned, and walked back through the gate.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kenzi gazed around as she soared through the sky on her own personal Valkyrie chair. The view was, if possible, even more incredible from up here. She turned to the Valkyrie on her right. "What happens if I fall?"

The Valkyrie shook her head. "You won't. We've got you."

"No," Kenzi said, "I'm totes not doubting your skills. I mean, I'm already dead, right? Can I get hurt if I fell or something?"

The Valkyrie laughed. "No. You would find yourself surprisingly resilient at the moment."

Kenzi looked impressed. "Sweetness." She was silent for a moment then asked, "What are your names?"

The one on her left spoke. "I am Eir, and that is Frigg."

Kenzi nodded. "I'm Kenzi." Frigg gave her a small smile. "And you guys just...hang out in Valhalla?"

Eir nodded. "Like you, Warrior, we lived our last life. Upon our deaths, we are returned to Valhalla to spend our eternity in paradise."

Still gazing around, Kenzi smiled. "Seems like a pretty baller place to spend eternity."

Eir smiled. "We hope that you will find it more than satisfactory."

They were approaching the great golden hall rapidly. Kenzi gasped as the two Valkyrie threw her up in the air as if she weighed nothing. She was weightless for a moment before gravity caught her and she began to fall. Before she had fallen more than a foot, however, the two women each grabbed one of her wrists so that she was dangling by her arms between them. They approached land, and they gently released her as her feet touched the ground. She stumbled momentarily, then caught herself. "Ok. That. Was. Freaking awesome!" She spun around and grinned at the Valkyrie who had landed just behind her. "Thanks for the ride! Now, we party?"

The Valkyrie nodded, smiling. They all turned and gazed at the hall. Kenzi was dumbstruck by the way the building glittered in the sun. "I wish Bo could see this," she thought, her enthusiasm dampened slightly. She turned to Eir and whispered, "Honestly, I kind of thought it would be bigger. It looks pretty small up close."

Eir shrugged. "It's bigger on the inside."

Taking a deep breath, Kenzi faced the door. "Alright, ladies. Let's do this." She strode up to the giant golden door confidently. The two women followed closely behind her, smiling. Kenzi reached for the golden handle and carefully pushed the door open. As she stood in the doorway, she gasped. "You were not kidding, Eir."


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think so far =]

Bo's eyes fluttered open. She squinted at the blurry shape above her. She blinking several times and the shape started to come into focus. Tamsin was staring down at Bo intently, her brow knitted. Bo had a split second of peaceful consciousness before the searing pain descended on her heart. Her eyes filled with tears, and she rolled over, turning away from Tamsin.

"Bo…" Tamsin reached over and touched her shoulder lightly. Bo's shoulders began to shake as the tears spilled over. She sobbed quietly and Tamsin sat down on the bed next to Bo, rubbing her shoulder gently as Bo cried. Tamsin knew that there were no words that could make Bo feel any better, so she didn't even try. She just sat with Bo, listening as the Succubus felt her heart break over and over again.

"Bo," Tamsin repeated quietly. "I saw her. In Valhalla. I was just there."

At her words, Bo froze. She sat up and spun around, wiping her eyes. Her eyes pierced Tamsin's. "Tell me."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Whatever confidence Kenzi had possessed when she pushed opened the door immediately dissipated. She gazed around the giant room, stunned. The interior walls of the sanctuary were as gold as the outer ones. The ceiling was entirely made of glass, and when Kenzi looked up at it, she could see the blue sky and the sun shining through. This made the entire hall seem to shimmer. The room was filled with two long tables. Kenzi squinted towards the other side of the room, but she couldn't even see the ends of the tables. There were padded benches that also ran the length of the hall on either side of the room. There were no windows, save for the glass ceiling. Instead, the gold walls were decorated with incredibly intricate murals, depicting battles, heroes and villains, and, of course, Valkyrie. Kenzi could see that the murals continued all the way down the length of the hall. Frigg appeared behind her.

"Kenzi, would you like to find your battle?"

Kenzi turned to look at her. "Huh?"

"Each warrior's final battle is preserved forever along the walls of Valhalla." She gestured towards the murals.

Kenzi gaped at her. "Seriously? That's so freaking cool!" She paused. "What happens when you run out of wall space?"

Frigg smiled. "The hall grows as it needs to. No deserving warrior will ever lose the chance to spend eternity here and be immortalized."

Kenzi looked at her for a moment. "I'm immortalized?" She finally asked quietly.

"Of course," Frigg replied, smiling. She took Kenzi's arm gently and led her through the hall. Kenzi kept looking around as they walked. She saw men and women of all ages, races, and sizes. She saw children, some of whom looked like they hadn't yet reached their fifth birthday. Everywhere she looked, people were smiling and laughing. The children played, the adults talked and joked. There were hundreds of beautiful Valkyrie milling about. They seemed to be responsible for making sure everyone was well-fed and their glasses were full. Kenzi was overwhelmed as she gazed at the scene. On the one hand, it seemed incredible. On the other, she knew that eternity would be lonely without her family. She shook her head, ignoring the thought.

It felt as though they'd been walking forever, but Kenzi wasn't tired. This was certainly a change, as she normally refused to walk further than a city block without taking a break. _"I could probably get used to this super-strength thing,"_ she thought to herself. She glanced around and saw a group of young men smiling at her. She gave them a small wave, and they grinned at each other. _"I could probably get used to that too."_

Suddenly, Frigg came to a stop. She raised her hand and pointed to the wall in front of them. "Here, Warrior. Your final battle."

Kenzi turned her eyes to the scene. Her eyes filled with tears as she took in the familiar scene of her death. Farthest to the left, she saw Bo stabbing Massimo. She moved her eyes to the right and saw Dyson and Tamsin fighting the army of revenants. She saw her own entrance, and a few tears spilled over. She saw herself standing outside of the portal, a beautiful and peaceful smile on her face as she looked back at Bo. The next image was a wide view of the scene. She saw her own body laying next to the portal. She saw Bo collapsed onto the ground, Dyson holding her arm. She saw Tamsin next to her body, sobbing. She saw Trick, his face in his hands. The final scene showed Tamsin in full Valkyrie mode, wings spread, standing above her body. She reached up and wiped her eyes, then turned to Frigg. Her voice was quiet when she spoke. "They made me look way more badass than I am."

Frigg smiled gently and touched her arm. "There are no enhancements. The scene is captured exactly as it unfolded. You prevented a catastrophe from befalling the world of man. You, Mackenzie, saved the world." Her smile widened, and she giggled slightly. "I would say that that is pretty badass."

Kenzi grinned. "Look at you, you sassy Valkyrie!" She paused. "Do you know Tamsin?"

Frigg nodded. "Of course. Tamsin is one of the oldest and most powerful Valkyrie that are still active. Her betrayal of her calling came as a shock to all of us. We are incredibly grateful that she rectified the situation and can return to us."

"But you..." Kenzi paused. "You're dead. You used up all of your lives? How can Tamsin be older than you?"

Frigg looked at Kenzi for a moment, and Kenzi winced. "Oooh, is that super rude to ask? My b."

Frigg gave her a small smile and responded calmly. "It is a personal question. But an understandable one, I know our ways can be confusing. Just as with humans, our lifespans can vary. The stronger a Valkyrie is, the longer each of her lives will last. We are also not infallible; we can be killed. One Valkyrie can die several times during the span of a single life of another. But we all have the same number of lives." She shrugged. "Essentially, Tamsin is incredibly strong, and she has never been killed. She has lived each of her lives fully, and each one has lasted significantly longer than any of mine did. Unless she is killed, it is expected that she will be able to continue to serve for several more centuries before she retires to the Hall for eternity."

Kenzi nodded slowly. "Good to know." She looked at Frigg. "Hey, I'm really sorry if I offended you. I won't go around asking anyone else how old they are."

Frigg smiled. "Apology accepted. And I would imagine you will find plenty of ways to offend people as you begin your existence here in Valhalla."

Kenzi's jaw dropped. "Oooo, sick burn Friggy!"

Frigg looked confused. "Sick burn?"

Kenzi laughed. "Oh Frigg, my friend, we BOTH have so much to learn." She looked around. "So, who do I have to bang for a drink around here?"

Immediately upon speaking the words, three Valkyrie appeared in front of her. They each carried of flagon of different types of wine. Kenzi looked a little nervous.

"Uh, sorry to disappoint ladies, but I don't actually swing that way." The three women glanced at each other, confused.

This time, Frigg laughed. "Kenzi, part of our duties include serving the warriors. You do not have to _bang_ anyone." She turned to the three Valkyrie and pointed to one of the flagons containing a deep red wine. They filled two goblets and handed them to Kenzi and Frigg.

Kenzi followed Frigg to an empty seat at one of the long tables. There were more people in the hall than Kenzi could count, but there still seemed to be plenty of room at the tables. "Is this everyone?" she asked Frigg.

"No, not at all." Frigg replied. "The warriors are free to come and go as they please. Many prefer to spend their time outside or in their individual dwellings. The Great Hall is a gathering place."

Kenzi perked up. "Individual dwellings? Do I get one of those?"

"Of course. I can take you there whenever you wish."

Kenzi picked up her goblet of wine and chugged it. She stood up. "I'm ready."

Frigg raised her eyebrow and smiled. "Very well." She stood up as well and began walking towards the back of the hall. Kenzi quickly followed. They reached another giant room at the back of the hall. It was filled entirely with doors.

"Woah," Kenzi said, "What's up with the doors?"

"It is in preparation for the final battle, Raganarok. When the time comes for battle, the warriors must exit through these doors. There are 540 doors, each leading to the final battlefield."

"Huh?"

Frigg smiled. "You have plenty of time to learn. For now, you must only exit Valhalla either through Valgrind, the front door, or through this door." She pointed to a small wooden door in the center of the room.

"Ok, easy enough," Kenzi shrugged and followed Frigg through it. Her breath caught in her throat as they stepped outside again. "Jeez. Will I ever get used to how freaking gorgeous this place is?"

"I hope not," Frigg replied. "I was raised here, and sometimes it is easy to overlook the beauty. I try to remember to appreciate it daily." She stopped walking and looked at Kenzi. "It is a bit of a walk to your dwelling. Do you want to walk, or would you like to fly?"

Kenzi grinned. "As much as I'm enjoying this super-strength, never getting tired thing, I'm not about to pass on an opportunity for another free ride."

"Very well." Frigg hunched over slightly and, with a small whimper, allowed her wings to emerge.

Kenzi watched her face carefully. "Does that hurt?"

Frigg had her eyes closed, breathing quietly. "Yes. The mechanics of our body structure mean that the wings are physiologically tied to our skeleton. It feels a bit like we are breaking all of our bones when we bring our wings out."

"Dude," Kenzi replied, "that sounds seriously unpleasant. You didn't have to do that for me!"

Frigg smiled. "I appreciate that, Kenzi, but pain is part of a Valkyrie's life, always." She reached out and grasped the girl around her waist. "Please hold on to me."

Kenzi wrapped her arms around Frigg and, with a shriek, they were flying.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Bo had curled her knees up into her chest and was leaning against the back of the bed. Tamsin was sitting cross-legged next to her.

"So she's...ok?"

"She's probably getting drunk and making out with the hottest warrior in Valhalla as we speak." Tamsin gave Bo a gentle smile.

Bo wasn't ready to smile yet. "How do I get her back?"

"Bo - "

"No, Tamsin. I don't want to hear any answer except a plan to get her back."

Tamsin shook her head. "I don't have one. It's never been done."

"Well," Bo said, staring at her intently, "then we'll be the first."


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading. Let me know what you think so far =]

Kenzi threw her arms out to the sides, shrieking in pleasure. Frigg clutched her tightly around the waist.

"I'm on top of the worldddd!" Kenzi screamed.

Frigg laughed. "That's not inaccurate."

Kenzi threw her head back, enjoying the feel of the warm air rushing past her face. "Seriously, Friggy, this shizz is AMAZING! I would KILL to have wings." She looked over her shoulder at Frigg's expression. "Oh. Bad choice of words?"

Frigg just gave her a strained smile. Kenzi faced front again. She had to be careful. Frigg was right, there were a million ways she could offend someone here. Not that she was too worried. What was the worst that could happen to her here? Still, she wanted to make the most of paradise, which probably meant not pissing off anyone who spoke to her.

"I'm sorry, Frigg, that was insensitive."

Frigg shook her head. "It's not your fault. You do not know any better. You'll learn. Valkyrie have a long and noble history. Any warrior who arrives here must learn about us. They all speak too quickly when they arrive."

"So, it's not just me?"

Frigg smiled. "It's definitely not just you, Kenzi."

Kenzi saw the ground rushing towards her, and before she knew it, her feet were safely on the firm earth. She stumbled forward but caught herself. "Whew. That is SUCH a rush. Thanks for the ride, Frigg."

Frigg bowed her head towards Kenzi. "Anytime, Warrior."

Kenzi glanced around. "Soooo...where's my pad? Are we talking, like, a hut? Because I'm used to that, but is there someone I can talk to about a decorating budget?"

Frigg smiled. "Your home will have been designed according to your tastes. The moment fate knew your soul was bound for Valhalla, it would have created the perfect home for you."

Kenzi's jaw dropped. "This place just keeps getting better and better. Lead the way, Friggy."

Frigg steered them towards a path through the trees. Kenzi could see a clearing up ahead, and she found that she was nervous. She attempted to distract herself. "So, no neighbors then?"

"The location is also chosen to match your heart. Deep down, you must not have wanted neighbors."

Kenzi frowned. That was kind of true, actually. She didn't necessarily want people all up in her business. It had never been a conscious thought, however. How did this house get made? What did she actually want, deep down? Frigg entered the clearing ahead of her and stepped aside to allow Kenzi to see. She stepped cautiously into the clearing and froze, eyes wide.

"No. Freaking. Way. You have GOT to be kidding me." She turned to Frigg. "This is a joke, right?"

Frigg seemed confused by her reaction. "Is it wrong?"

Kenzi shook her head. "It's...it's absolutely perfect." She took a tentative step forward, gazing at her new home. It was a large, Victorian-style house. It was painted light green, with darker green trim. The roof was a deep red. There was a large wrap-around porch, and Kenzi could see a porch swing hanging on one side. There were a few steps leading up to the front door on the front right side of the porch, and Kenzi could see stairs leading to a second entrance on the left side of the house. There were beautiful wooden pillars framing the front of the porch, with intricate wooden fleur de lis running along the top of the porch. There was a rounded balcony on the second floor, above the porch, with the same intricate carvings and columns. Set farther back, there was a rounded tower, with a cone-shaped red roof. Kenzi felt something stir in the back of her subconscious. She realized that this house bore a striking resemblance to the dollhouse she had had as a child. Long after it wasn't cool for a girl to play with a dollhouse, Kenzi would retreat to the sanctuary of her dolls' perfect life whenever her own became too much to bear. When she turned 13, her stepfather had discovered her playing with it, and flew into a fit of anger, telling her that she was too old for this kind of thing. He took the dollhouse from her, and she watched out her window as he threw it in the dumpster across the street, making sure that it broke apart before he walked away from it. Of course this would be the house her heart desired; it had been the only place she felt safe during those years. She quickly wiped away a tear and looked at Frigg. "Can we go inside?"

Frigg smiled gently at her. "Of course, Kenzi. This is your home."

They walked along the lawn towards the steps. Kenzi gazed at the yard, pleased to see that there were flowers blooming along the edges of the yard and in front of the house. She climbed the steps slowly, gazing up at the woodwork on the porch. She stood in front of the dark wooden door for a moment, looking down at the ornate door knocker. "Should I knock?" she whispered softly.

Frigg came up behind her. "There's no need to be nervous, Kenzi. This house was made for you."

Kenzi nodded and took a deep breath. She pushed the door open slowly and a smile slowly crossed her face. She had stepped into a welcoming foyer. The foyer opened into a circular room with an incredibly grand staircase spiraling through it. The banisters twisted upwards, framing the staircase with solid oak turrets. A low wooden bench sat on the immediate left side of the door. Kenzi sat on it heavily, looked towards the ceiling in awe. The staircase led up at least two floors; she couldn't see the top from where she sat. She looked to her left and saw a surprisingly bright living room. To her right, she could see the kitchen at the end of a long, wood-paneled hallway. The inside of the house felt surprisingly modern, considering the exterior was extremely classical Victorian. Even the staircase felt more like a modern art sculpture than a functional mode of travel. Kenzi was overwhelmed, and didn't even notice Frigg sit down next to her on the bench.

"Would you like to explore on your own?" Frigg asked. "I can wait here."

Kenzi shook her head lightly. "No, please come with me."

Frigg nodded. "As you wish." She stood up and pulled Kenzi to her feet. Kenzi looked in both directions and decided to head left first. She stepped into the living room and looked around, taking it all in. She had been right; despite it's outward appearance, the house was extremely modern. There was a large stone fireplace along the far wall. Several sleek couches were arranged around the room, making several different sitting areas. There was a large leather armchair in one corner that Kenzi immediately wanted to nap in. A giant TV hung on another wall, and Kenzi could see that the entertainment system was well-equipped. A thought occurred to her. "Hey, do you guys have cable here? What's the deal?"

Frigg smiled. "Any amenities that are available on Earth are also available here."

Kenzi nodded, impressed. "Sweetness." She continued gazing around the room. She smiled, noticing that even the walls were decorated to her taste. No weird renaissance art for her; there were a few cool abstract paintings mixed in with framed movie posters from her favorite old movies. The mantle of the fireplace was full of framed images, and Kenzi stepped closer to look at them. She felt a sharp pang in her heart as she saw that they were all images of her friends: Bo, Dyson, Tamsin, Trick, Hale, even Lauren. There were several pictures of her and Bo making ridiculous faces, and she found a picture of her and Hale on the night he proposed. She whirled around and looked at Frigg. "Hey. My boyfriend..." she took a deep breath. "My fiancee died, just before I did. He was stabbed. Is he...Is his soul here? How would I know?"

"I can look into it for you, if you'd like. There is a hall of records." Frigg replied.

Kenzi nodded. "Please." She knew that not every dead person came here, and it wasn't like there had been a Valkyrie there when he was stabbed. But it had technically been a battle. Maybe they'd be lucky. 

They continued through the living room. There was a hallway at the back of the room that led behind the circular foyer and into a formal dining room. It was beautiful, but Kenzi wasn't too concerned with this room; it wasn't like she was planning on doing a ton of entertaining. They continued on into the kitchen. It was a large, open, modern kitchen. It was brightly lit; most of the walls were covered with windows. Kenzi immediately made for the fridge, throwing the doors open and gazing in wonder at the food inside. "Damn," she breathed. "Someone knows what mama likes." She spotted a bottle of wine sitting on the counter and began rummaging through the cabinets until she found a wineglass. Pouring herself a glass, she took a long sip and sighed. This house was amazing. She hadn't even made it upstairs yet. She turned to Frigg. "Can I go upstairs on my own?"

"Of course," Frigg replied. "I'll wait in the living room."

Kenzi nodded and made her way through the wood-paneled hallway she had seen earlier until she was back in the circular foyer. She hurried up the stairs, excited to see what the rest of the house held. She reached the first landing and turned off. There was a hallway stretching out in front of her, with several doors off of it. The first one she pushed open revealed an office, with a desk, computer, and bookshelves filled with books. The next door seemed to be a workout room; there were mirrors along two walls, a punching bag, weights, and yoga supplies. She shrugged. Probably good to have it. She reached the last door in the hallway and pushed it open, revealing the bedroom of her dreams. A king-size four-poster bed was in the center of the room, it's wooden headboard against the wall. There were sconces hanging every few feet along the walls, and Kenzi could see that they held real candles. Kenzi turned and saw the balcony that she had spotted from outside. She stepped onto it, pushing open the glass doors and taking in the view. There were two wooden chairs on the balcony, with a small wooden table between them. Kenzi smiled as she gazed out over paradise. She could see the falls in the distance, and she could see the glint of gold that she knew was the Great Hall. She walked back inside and spotted two doors opposite her. She walked to the first one and found herself in the bathroom. She almost moaned as she looked at the jacuzzi-style tub in one corner. There was a luxurious shower stall next to it. Double sinks and a massive vanity completed the incredible bathroom. She walked out and to the other door. Pushing it open, she screamed at the top of her lungs.

From downstairs, Frigg heard the yell. She raced up the stairs to the bedroom, calling Kenzi's name. She entered the bedroom, looking around, and saw the door in the corner was ajar. She approached it cautiously, pushing it open the rest of the way, and began to laugh.

Kenzi was kneeling on the floor of the closet, surrounded by clothes that she had just yanked off their hangers. She was currently cradling a pair of boots like they were her own firstborn children. She was stroking them, her small, leathery babies, eyes closed, apparently lost in some previously undiscovered bliss. She began murmuring to the boots as Frigg continued to laugh. "You came back to mama. I always knew I'd see you again. You beautiful, beautiful devils." She looked up at Frigg. "This is seriously the most incredible closet I've ever seen in my life. I'm never leaving it."

Frigg smiled. "If this is how you want to spend eternity, you can."

Kenzi threw herself backwards, arms spread, into the pile of clothes. She closed her eyes, smiling. Frigg turned to walk out, and Kenzi sat up quickly.

"Hey, wait!"

Frigg turned back towards her. "Yes?"

"How is there seriously more to this house? What more could I possibly need? What's on the third floor?"

Frigg shrugged. "I don't know. Why don't you find out?"

Kenzi nodded. Frigg held out her hand and pulled Kenzi to her feet. Kenzi left the closet, throwing a wistful glance back in its direction as she made her way back to the stairs. Frigg paused at the staircase. "Should I wait here?"

"No," Kenzi replied, "come on up." They ascended the stairs together, and when they reached the top, Kenzi turned to Frigg in confusion. "Huh? Do I have a roommate?"

Frigg also looked a little confused, but she finally responded, "Your heart must have wanted this room for some reason, Kenzi."

Kenzi gazed around the room. The four-poster bed, draped in lace. The collection of knives hanging on the wall. The clawfoot bathtub clearly visible through a semi-translucent glass divider. Suddenly, she understood. Of course her house would have a room for Bo. If it was made out of her heart, there's no way it could have missed the biggest and most important segment of it. Kenzi felt her eyes filled with tears, and she dropped to her knees. Burying her face in her hands, she let out the tears that she had been holding back since she arrived. Bo had lost her when she climbed into that portal, she knew that. But Kenzi also knew that she couldn't see Bo either. Frigg touched her shoulder uncertainty, not knowing what to do. From below, she heard the front door open and a familiar voice call Kenzi's name. She responded softly, knowing her voice would travel down the stairs. "We're up here."

The footsteps on the stairs quickened as Kenzi's sobs became audible. Tamsin crested the top of the stairs and saw Kenzi on her knees. She rushed over and pulled the small human into her arms, holding her tightly as she finally grieved for the loss of her best friend.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a biiiiig Buffy reference, if you catch it.

Bo still sat curled up on her bed. She had sent Tamsin back to Valhalla to check on Kenzi again, and Tamsin had agreed, reluctantly. She hadn't wanted to leave Bo, but Bo had promised her that she would stay in bed with a bottle of wine. She heard the apartment door open and close downstairs and she closed her eyes. She willed Kenzi's voice to be the one she heard calling her name, but instead, Dyson's voice drifted up the stairs.

"Bo? Are you here?"

She didn't respond, hoping he'd go away. Instead, she heard his footsteps on the stairs. He appeared in the doorway.

"Bo? Can I come in?"

She just stared straight ahead. Apparently, he took that as consent. He stepped towards the bed slowly.

"How are you doing?"

Still no response.

"Bo, please. Talk to me."

Bo's eyes filled with tears and she leaned her head back.

"Bo, she was my friend too."

At these words, Bo's eyes shot open and she glared at Dyson. "Then why did you let her die?"

Dyson hung his head. "Bo, I'm sorry."

"I TOLD YOU to protect her! You SWORE to me that you would! And you just let her go? You just let her walk into that portal? How DARE you, Dyson!"

Dyson walked over to the bed and sat down. "I know. I know, Bo, and I'm so sorry. But she made her choice. There's no arguing with that girl once her mind is made up, you know that."

"She's a HUMAN, Dyson! You're telling me that the big bad wolf couldn't have stopped one tiny human?" She paused and shook her head, her eyes angry and full of tears. "Get out."

Dyson sat quietly for a moment and then stood up. "If that's what you want." He turned and walked towards the door. Before he walked through it, he turned back."Bo, she saved the world. If she hadn't done what she did, if I hadn't let her go, everyone would have died. Including Kenzi."

Bo just stared at him, the grief overtaking her face. "Then the last thing she would have seen on this Earth was me protecting her."

Dyson gazed at her, nodded slowly, and walked out of the room. Bo heard the apartment door open and shut again, and she buried her face in her hands, her body wracked with sobs.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

In her new home, Kenzi was similarly overcome. Her fragile frame was heaving as she wept in Tamsin's arms. Tamsin gathered Kenzi into her arms and carried her down the stairs and into her new bedroom. Sitting gently on the bed, she placed Kenzi next to her and let the girl cry. Tamsin stroked her hair absentmindedly.

_I love these girls_ , she thought to herself,  _but when the hell did I sign up for this?_  A strangled gasp from Kenzi brought her back into focus. Tamsin squeezed her tightly. "It's ok, Kenzi. It'll be ok."

Gradually, Kenzi's breath evened out and Tamsin felt her body begin to relax. She looked up at Tamsin. "God, I must look terrible."

Tamsin shrugged. "You like fine. Just…all the…" she waved her hand awkwardly, gesturing at her eyes.

Kenzi sniffled and wiped her eyes carefully. "God. The ONE DAY I don't wear waterproof mascara." She stood up and walked carefully into the bathroom.

Tamsin looked around the room awkwardly. "Nice pad. You like it?"

"Everything except the third floor." Kenzi called.

"Yeah," Tamsin replied. "Was that…" she looked up as Kenzi walked back into the room. "Bo's room?"

Kenzi looked down and nodded. "Just another painful reminder that I have to forge ahead without my bestie." She sat down next to Tamsin. "How's Earth?"

Tamsin rolled her eyes. "Pretty depressing." Kenzi glared at her, and she looked down with a wince. "Sorry. I know that I'm the lucky one here. I'm just glad I still get to see both of you."

Kenzi looked at her with a pout. "Even when I'm a swirling mess of depression?"

Tamsin wrapped her arm around the human and gave her a squeeze. "Of course." She paused. "But I'm cool whenever you want to stop crying."

It was Kenzi's turn to roll her eyes. "I'll see what I can do." She looked around. "Hey, where'd Frigg go?"

"She's downstairs. I think she didn't quite know how to handle your breakdown. She is a Valkyrie, after all. But she may or may not be making cookies."

Kenzi looked impressed. "My kind of woman." She looked at Tamsin. "She said you're old. Like, super old."

"And?"

"How old are you, exactly?"

Tamsin glared at her. "A lady never tells her age."

"Ha!" Kenzi exclaimed. "Good thing you're not a lady, huh?"

"I'm old," Tamsin replied, rolling her eyes. "Older than the human race. Older than your puny human brain can even imagine. Let's move on."

"Are you glad you're allowed back in Valhalla?"

"Of course I am," Tamsin replied. "And not just because you're here. I turned away from my calling when I refused to deliver Bo. I needed to make it right. I need to make sure I do something with my final life."

"Like what?"

"Oh, I don't know." She shrugged lightly. "Destroying a system as old as time itself and transferring a human across parallel planes of existence?"

Kenzi's jaw dropped. "Can you do that?"

Tamsin shook her head. "Nope. But according to Bo, that's what I'm expected to do. Bitch won't take no for an answer. You were right, Kenzi, she's never going to give up on you."

Kenzi smiled. "That's my girl."

"The good news," Tamsin continued, "is that Bo is Fae. And now that you're in Valhalla, you're immortal. So even if it takes her hundreds of years, if she does manage to get you back, you'll still be hot."She grinned at Kenzi.

"So, what happens if I do get back? Do I just go back to being a boring old human?"

"Kenzi, I have no idea. I told you, it's never been done. I have a couple very vague ideas that I'm going to look into while I'm here. But I'm way over my head here."

"Well, let's get to it! What can I do?"

"Nothing yet," Tamsin replied. "I'm going to go talk to a few old friends. I want you stay here. Hang out with Frigg; learn everything you can about Valhalla and the Valkyrie race. And enjoy yourself."

Kenzi shrugged. "I can handle that." She looked at Tamsin. "This Frigg. She a good cookie?"

Tamsin nodded. "Yes. She's got quite a life story, you should ask her about it sometime. Delicately." She gave Kenzi a look. "I know you're not great at delicate."

Kenzi shook her head. "No. No I am not."

"I'm going to run a few errands before I head back to Earth. I'll check in before I go. You going to be ok?"

"Yeppers." She smiled. "Thank you, Tam-Tam. I know crying girls are not your fave."

"Eh," Tamsin shrugged. "But you're my fave. I'll deal."

Kenzi flung her arms around Tamsin, hugging her tightly. "Come back soon, ok?" A thought occurred to her. "Is it hard for you to get back and forth from Earth?"

"Nah," Tamsin said. "It's a piece of cake. I can be up here anytime you need me. Just let one of the other Valkyrie that you want to see me. They can get me."

"Ok." Kenzi pushed Tamsin off the bed. "Get out of here! Go figure out how to get me back to my Bo-Bo." She grabbed her arm. "But come say bye before you leave, ok?"

Tamsin rolled her eyes. "You got it, short stuff."

Kenzi followed her down the stairs and waved as she walked out the door. Kenzi turned towards the kitchen, where she could indeed make out the distinct smell of cookies. "Frigg. If those are chocolate chip, you are officially my favorite person on this planet."

Frigg turned, smiling. "Happy to accept the title." She offered the plate of cookies to Kenzi, who grabbed one and shoved it in her mouth, moaning happily. Frigg's smile faded slightly as she watched her. "Are you feeling better, Kenzi? I apologize for earlier, I…didn't know what to do. I'm not used to…"

"Hey, Frigg, boo, it's totally cool. I might not know a ton about Valkyrie but their lack of emotional capacity? That I am familiar with. Sorry about the breakdown." She looked down. "I just miss my bestie."

Frigg nodded. "I understand. I had a best friend once."

Kenzi glanced at her. "Had? Sounds like there's a story there."

Frigg looked down and smiled sadly. "A long and sad story. You don't want to hear it."

Kenzi touched her arm lightly. "Sure I do."

Frigg shook her head. "Another time, then. Not now. Your own sad story is too fresh in your mind. You should be concentrating on learning to enjoy your paradise."

Kenzi nodded. "Ok. Another time, then." She grabbed another cookie. "So, Friggy. What's there to do for fun around here?"

Frigg smiled mischievously. "How do you feel about sports?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Tamsin huffed as she reached the summit of the mountain. She stood, gazing at the hall in front of her. Valhalla was made of solid gold, but this one was silvery and metallic in color. It shimmered in the sunlight on the mountaintop. She approached the front gate, sighing. Fourteen warriors in full battle gear were guarding the gate. They stood at attention as she approached. One of them spoke.

"Announce yourself."

"Tamsin," she answered him, her voice short.

At the sound of her name, they glanced at each other and lowered their weapons. They stepped aside, allowing her to approach the entrance. She pushed to door open slowly. Stepping through it, it slammed behind her, and she took a deep breath. She walked through the Great Hall, ignoring the shields that lined the walls. She knew that if she looked, she would find hers. But that wasn't why she was here. She approached the throne room, her trepidation building with each step. Before she had time to speak, she heard a voice.

"Tamsin. Long time no see."

She spun around, groaning inwardly. She nodded to the man standing in front of her. "Not long enough, Thor."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, I hope you guys are liking it so far. It may not be entirely fair for Bo to blame Dyson the way she is, but I honestly believe that Bo wouldn't have been able to let Kenzi sacrifice herself. Let me know what you think!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a lot of fun to write. I hope you like it =]

Tamsin smirked as she watched the red-haired man approach her. "Still rocking that beard, huh?"

He ran his fingers through it. "It's not going anywhere. This is an incredible look."

"Yeah, ok." She replied sarcastically.

He smiled at her. "There's that attitude. I've missed you." He stepped closer, and she immediately took a few steps backwards.

"I bet you have."

"What's the matter? No hug?"

"Not if my life depended on it."

"It might," he responded vaguely, gesturing towards the ceiling.

Tamsin looked up. There were archers nestled in the rafters, at least twenty of them, all training their arrows on her. She rolled her eyes. "You're seriously THAT desperate for a little Valkyrie loving?"

"Some call it desperation. I call it dedication."

He stepped forward and this time Tamsin glared at him, but didn't move. He embraced her, squeezing her tightly and burying his head in her hair. He inhaled deeply. "Mmmm. You always smell so delicious."

Tamsin shoved him away, a disgusted look on her face. "You're pathetic, Thor. One night THOUSANDS of years ago and you still aren't over me?"

"Time moves slowly here, Tam-Tam, but my memory is long."

"Don't call me that," she snarled at him.

"So touchy." He smiled. "So what can I do for you? Here to finally cash in on round two?"

"Ugh," she replied. "You wish." She hesitated, taking a deep breath and staring at the ceiling. She finally spoke reluctantly. "I need a favor."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Friggy, I know I agreed to come with you, but I feel like I need to make my stance clear: I don't do sports."

"These aren't normal sports, Kenzi. This isn't going to be like…what's it called? Football?"

"Thank god for that. Though I don't hate the uniforms. So much better than those stupid half-pants they wear in baseball." They were walking briskly through the woods. Kenzi still wasn't used to the fact that she didn't get tired at all. She was keeping up with Frigg easily, and they had already walked over a mile.

"So, how long have you been in Valhalla, Frigg?" Kenzi asked.

Frigg glanced over at her. "I returned here permanently about five hundred years ago. My final assignment was during the Battle of Chaldiran. The Ottoman force had been chosen to win the battle. I was to transport some of the Safavid casualties here."

"I don't know what any of that means," Kenzi admitted.

Frigg laughed. "No, I suppose you wouldn't. The details are not important. It was hardly a fair fight. The Ottoman force was larger and significantly better equipped. The Safavids didn't stand a chance. Odin had determined that the Ottomans would win, with the Safavids suffering heavy losses. However, several of their heroic soldiers were chosen for Valhalla, so they were my targets."

"So what happened?" Kenzi asked hesitantly, not wanting to offend her. "Did…did someone kill you?"

Frigg shook her head. "I completed my assignment. I was on my final life, and my body had been weakening for many years. The strain of my final transport was too much. I arrived in Valhalla at peace with my service and was welcomed warmly by my sisters. Saying goodbye to any Earth-bound existence can be difficult. But I welcomed it."

"Why? Doesn't seem like Tamsin ever wants to leave Earth."

Frigg spotted their destination ahead, and changed the subject quickly. "Kenzi, it is important that you do not speak too quickly here. The games are not dangerous for spectators, unless a Warrior's pride is damaged."

"Got it." Kenzi nodded. "Keep foot out of mouth. Don't piss off the dudes with swords." She looked at Frigg. "I should probably just not talk, huh?"

Frigg smiled. "Perhaps that would be wise." They approached the arena and Frigg kept sneaking glances at Kenzi's face. Her expression started at confused, then concerned, and when she finally realized what was happening, astonishment and elation. She looked at Frigg, eyes wide.

"Last one in there is an elephant's Aswang!" She bounded off, and Frigg followed, laughing.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"So let me get this straight," Thor said incredulously. "You have grown attached to a puny human and her puny mortal Fae friends. And she killed herself and now you want her soul restored to Earth?"

Tamsin glared at him. "That's the extremely basic story, yeah."

Thor laughed cruelly. "Never going to happen, Valkyrie."

"Well that's not really your decision, is it Junior?"

He narrowed his eyes. "My father is not taking visitors presently."

"Oh don't play dumb with me, asshat. Your father has never taken any visitors, other than his whores."

"So are you volunteering?"

Tamsin clenched her fists, trying not to punch the redhead. "No. Hence, the favor."

He laughed again "There's no way. Not gonna happen. Unless…"

She glared at him. "What?"

"Well, Tam-Tam, Dad always likes it when I bring girls home to meet the fam."

"Seriously? You think I'm going to pretend to date you just so I can get into your father's estate?"

"I'm not sure how else you think you're going to manage it."

Tamsin groaned. "Fine, you pathetic idiot." She stepped forward and grabbed him around the neck. "This means nothing. This is the closest you will get to me, EVER again. Got it?" She released him, and he stumbled backwards, rubbing his throat and smiling slightly.

"Got it. So, you just have to do one tiny thing for me, first."

"Are you kidding me? THIS isn't enough?"

"Tamsin," he said, his voice condescending and sarcastic. "I think you're already confused. This is a favor to you, remember? I require one of my own. Consider it…payment."

She shook her head. "Fine. What now?"

Thor just grinned.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Are you FREAKING kidding me? Is that an actual JOUST happening right now?"

They made their way through the wooden bleachers crowded with screaming people of all ages. Kenzi nearly tripped over a man while she was staring it awe at the two horses that were pawing the ground behind their lines. Frigg grabbed her arm and led her to two open seats.

"Yes," Frigg replied, "we must be in the Middle Ages."

"Huh?" Kenzi glanced at Frigg briefly, but her gaze was immediately drawn back to the arena.

"Kenzi, we have warriors here from every era since the modern human race evolved, from every culture imaginable. They all fight differently."

Kenzi snickered as two heavily armored knights waddled awkwardly into the arena. "Yeah, I can't really see these guys throwing down in an MMA cage match."

Frigg giggled momentarily, then controlled herself. "Kenzi," she whispered, "these are great warriors. Do not insult them."

Kenzi winced. "Ooh, right. My b." She focused again on the arena, watching as the knights mounted their steeds. Two Valkyrie were acting as their squires, and they gently raised the lances. The knights grasped them tightly, facing each other with determined looks barely visible through their helms. Kenzi felt a flutter of anxiety as they lowered their heads and charged towards each other. Without taking her eyes off the joust, she started to ask, "What happens if they – "

Before she could finish her sentence, they collided with a horrendous crash. The clang of metal on metal almost drowned out the agonized wail of the second knight. A cloud of dust filled the air as he landed on the ground. When it cleared, Kenzi let out a little shriek.

"Frigg!"

The knight was laying on the ground, a broken lance sticking straight out of the one vulnerability in his armor: the separation between his breastplate and his helm.

Frigg laid a hand reassuringly on Kenzi's leg. "Kenzi, it's ok. Watch."

With a loud groan, the knight reached up and grabbed the broken lance. He began pulling it slowly, and with a low squelching noise, ripped it from his body.

"Ewwwww," Kenzi squealed, looking grossed out.

Frigg laughed. "Wimp," she replied, nudging Kenzi playfully.

Kenzi looked at her and smiled. "There's the sass master!"

She turned back to the arena just in time to see the fallen knight stand, stretch his arms slightly, and walk over to the first knight. They shook hands and clapped each other on the back. There seemed to be no hard feelings over the brutal dismounting. Kenzi looked over at Frigg, the question written plainly on her face. Frigg shrugged.

"I told you that you would find yourself surprisingly resilient here. This place is filled with warriors. For many of them, their paradise must include battles. They can fight and even receive wounds that would be fatal on Earth. But their flesh will immediately heal. They feel pain, but they are never in any danger. Death is not a possibility here, because this place is already death."

Kenzi nodded. That made sense. Still, it was cool to see the theory in practice. She watched as two more knights stepped forward. This time, one of the horses was not cooperating. The knight pulled at his reins, but the horse planted his hooves in the ground and refused to budge. It became an awkward game of tug-of-war, with the knight hampered by his bulky armor. As Kenzi watched, he suddenly lost his grip on the reins and slipped backwards, landing with a loud splat in the mud. Kenzi laughed out loud before realizing that no one else was laughing. She clapped a hand over her mouth and look at Frigg, eyes wide. Frigg returned her frantic gaze before looking over at the knight. He was pulling himself up from the mud, glaring towards the stands. Just as he reached a standing position, his foot slid backwards and he lost his balance, this time landing flat on his face. Kenzi was no longer alone in trying to stifle her giggling. The onlookers were all snickering, watching the knight try to wipe mud out of his eyes. One of the Valkyrie moved forward to help him, but he brushed her away. He managed to clear his eyes enough to see, and he immediately focused on Kenzi.

"You! With the black hair!"

Kenzi nervously glanced to both sides before pointing at herself hesitantly. "Me?"

"How dare you insult me! I challenge you to a contest!"

Kenzi snickered, unable to stop the words from slipping out. "Mud-wrestling?"

You could almost see the steam pouring from his ears. "A joust! I challenge you!"

Kenzi looked at Frigg, who just shook her head. "Oh, Kenzi."

Kenzi winced. "Crap."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thor was scribbling furiously on a piece of paper.

"I need you to go to Folkvangr and deliver this to someone."

"Uh, you really are an idiot, aren't you? I'm still Earth-bound, Thor. I can't get to Folkvangr until the turn of the millennium."

"That sounds like your problem, Valkyrie."

"Why don't you just go over there and deliver the message? You're not bound from entering."

He grimaced. "The message is…sensitive in content. I'd rather not be the one to deliver it."

Tamsin grabbed the piece of paper out of his hand and skimmed it quickly. "Are you fucking kidding me? You want me to break up with your girlfriend for you? You know this is NOT a real date, right?"

"Yes, but I've been looking for an excuse to end things. This is a perfect opportunity."

"Ugh," Tamsin groaned. "You're such a scumbag." She shook her head, hating this. The lengths she was willing to go for a Succubus and a human…"Fine," she finally agreed. "I'm going to need some time to figure out how to do this."

Thor smiled. "Take all the time you need, sweetheart. I'll be waiting."

Tamsin strode angrily out of Bilskirnir and brought her wings out to fly back to Kenzi's house. She landed with a thud in the yard and walked up the front path. She took a moment to compose herself before pushing the door open. "Kenzi? Frigg?" There was no reply. She wandered into the kitchen and saw a note on the fridge.

_Tammy,_

_Went to go watch the games with Friggy-poo._

_Meet us there?_

_Love ya,_

_Kenzi_

Tamsin laughed. At least Kenzi was having fun. She walked back outside and took off again, this time heading towards the arena.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"No, seriously though, I don't think this is a fair competition." Kenzi had been protesting futilely since she had been dragged off the wooden bleachers and into one of the tents that ringed the arena.

"Lift your arms."

"Make me, asshat," Kenzi snarled.

The blacksmith shrugged. "Fine." He wrenched her arm upwards and slid the chainmail over her head. Kenzi stumbled at the weight.

"Seriously? This weighs more than I do! How am I even supposed to move in this?"

The muddy knight standing in the corner laughed harshly. "Maybe this will teach you some respect for what I do."

Kenzi nodded eagerly. "Seriously, dude. Mad respect. I totally shouldn't have laughed."

He shook his head. "Too late, girl. The challenge has been made. You must compete."

Kenzi looked nauseous as the blacksmith fastened a breastplate to her. He had made a few quick modifications so that it fit her petite frame, but she was still swimming in it. Solid steel surrounded her body, and she didn't think she could even walk, let alone hop onto a horse and charge at this dude with a giant stick.

"Seriously, Kenzi? Open mouth, insert foot. Rinse and repeat." She muttered to herself as the blacksmith approached her with a helm. He placed it on her head, and now she was essentially blind and deaf as well as incapable of moving.

From the bleachers, Frigg watched the entrance of the tent anxiously. She knew Kenzi was in no real danger, but she was still nervous. They hadn't allowed her to assist Kenzi in preparing for the joust, so all she could do was wait for the girl to appear. She heard the light whisper of wings to her right and she looked over just as Tamsin pulled her wings in and began scanning the bleachers. Frigg raised her hand to get her attention, and Tamsin made her way through the crowd and sat next to her. She glanced around the arena.

"What's going on? Where's Kenzi?"

Frigg stifled a giggle as she pointed towards the tent. Tamsin followed her finger and burst out laughing.

Kenzi had just come into view, flanked by two Valkyrie who were helping her into the arena. Her tiny frame had disappeared inside a full-metal casing. The only recognizable feature that Tamsin and Frigg could make out was her eyeliner, still visible through the slit in her helm. She waddled awkwardly, the Valkyrie holding her arms and making sure she didn't fall.

Tamsin looked at Frigg. "Should I even ask?"

Frigg shook her head, laughing. "Probably not."

They watched as the Valkyrie tried to lift Kenzi onto her horse. It looked like a Three Stooges skit: one of the Valkyrie pushing Kenzi upwards from one side while the other tried to grab and pull her from the other side. Finally, they managed to get Kenzi's stomach onto the horse so that she was draped over the saddle. They grabbed one leg and swung her around until she was roughly in a sitting position. Throughout this process, Tamsin and Frigg couldn't stop laughing. They could tell that Kenzi was glaring at them, but any profanities that she might be directing at them were muffled by the cage of steel surrounding her face. She fumbled with the reins, unable to actually grip them with the steel gauntlets that were way too big for her. She finally just laid the reins over one arm, leaving her hands free for the lance that the Valkyrie were now attempting to hand her.

Given that this entire debacle had started because Kenzi had laughed at a knight, the audience was not being shy about returning the favor. The crowd surrounding Tamsin and Frigg was hysterical, gasping for breath as they all practically choked on their laughter.

Tamsin took a deep breath and looked at Frigg, smirking. "Should we do something?"

Frigg shrugged, smiling. "No, I don't think so. She'll be fine."

"She's going to kill us."

Frigg giggled. "Only if she can catch us." They dissolved into laughter again.

In the arena, Kenzi was struggling with the lance. It was almost three times as tall as she was, and she wasn't exactly well-balanced at the moment. She kept trying to lift it and tipping forward. The two Valkyrie were trying to help. One of the was currently clinging to the back of Kenzi's chainmail, trying to keep her upright, while the second stood underneath the lance, lifting it over her head and trying to keep it straight for Kenzi. Somehow, miraculously, Kenzi finally managed to balance. She was leaning backwards, the lance pointed straight out ahead of her; not exactly an ideal jousting position, but it was the best she could do.

"Ok!" She called, straining to make herself heard through the helm. "Let's do this shizz!"

She pressed her steel boots into the sides of her horse and they sprung forward. Kenzi almost fell off, but she squeezed her legs tightly and managed to hang on. She couldn't see anything, but she could vaguely hear a second set of hoof beats that told her the other knight was charging towards her as well. She closed her eyes, bracing herself for impact, and it came quickly. She didn't even try to hang on as she felt the knight's lance sweep her to the side and off her horse. She flew through the air and landed with a splat in the mud.

"Ughhhhh," she groaned. She heard the crowd laughing. She knew there was no way she would be able to lift herself off the ground so she just lay there, chuckling lightly. Frigg was right. She was totally fine. She had to learn her lesson somehow, right? Suddenly, Frigg and Tamsin appeared in her line of sight, peering down at her. Both women were desperately trying to stifle their laughter.

"Oh, just let it out, you idiots."

Tamsin and Frigg laughed their asses off as they helped Kenzi up and out of the arena. They brought her back to the tent and helped her remove the muddy steel.

The redeemed knight appeared in the doorway, chuckling. "You did better than I would have expected. What's your name?"

"Kenzi."

Tamsin broke in. "She's new here."

"I never would have guessed." He stepped forward, extending his hand. "Well done Kenzi. Thanks for being a good sport."

She shook his hand vigorously. "Seriously, dude, I have no idea how you do that. I'm sorry I laughed."

He shook his head. "Seeing you in the mud…I don't blame you." He laughed heartily and clapped her on the back, throwing her forward. She caught herself before she hit the ground and glared at him.

"Dude."

He smiled. "Sorry." He started to exit the tent, but turned back. "Come back any time. I'm always up for a rematch."

"I'm totally going to kick your ass next time," Kenzi responded, smiling.

"Looking forward to it." He gave her a wink before walking out the door.

Frigg and Tamsin were both smirking at her.

"What?"

"Making friends already, momz. I'm impressed."

Kenzi shrugged. "You should be. I'm impressive." The mud covering her body diluted the confidence of her words.

Tamsin laughed. "Come on, Warrior. Let's get you home and cleaned up."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Back at the house, Kenzi went upstairs to try out her new shower for the first time, leaving Tamsin and Frigg alone in the kitchen. Tamsin turned to the other Valkyrie.

"Frigg, I need to ask you a favor."

"Anything, Tamsin. What do you need?"

Tamsin hesitated, her face pained. "I…I need you to go to Folkvangr for me."

Frigg turned pale and she lowered her eyes. "Tamsin, I…"

"Frigg, I know, I'm so sorry. I have to get to Folkvangr, and the only person who can give me permission is Freyja. I just need you to bring her here."

Frigg was quiet for several moments. "Ok," she finally agreed.

Tamsin covered Frigg's hand with her own. "Thank you, Frigg. I can't even imagine how hard this is for you."

She nodded. "When?"

"As soon as possible."

"Give me a few hours. I will bring Freyja here at sundown."

"Of course. Thank you."

Frigg nodded and walked out the front door. Tamsin watched through the window as her body contracted and her wings came out. She took off, soaring straight up into the sky. Tamsin stood by the window for a moment before walking upstairs.

"Kenzi," she called as she approached the bedroom door. "You decent?"

"Come on in!" came the reply.

Tamsin pushed open the door to see Kenzi curled up under the covers in her bed. It didn't look like she was wearing any clothes.

"I thought you said you were decent!"

"Oh you can't see anything, stop being such a prude." She smiled at Tamsin. "Do you have any idea how comfortable this bed is?"

Tamsin rolled her eyes. "I'm sure it's great, Kenz. Listen, Frigg had to do something for me, she's going to be gone for a few hours. I was going to run back down to Earth and check on Bo, are you going to be ok on your own? If not, I can stay."

Kenzi waved her away. "No no. I'll be fine, go check on my Bo-Bo. Actually, can you bring her something?"

"As long as it's something that also exists on Earth."

"Yep." Kenzi hopped out of bed, totally naked, and Tamsin covered her eyes.

"Come on, momz!"

"Sorry," Kenzi replied, giggling. She pulled a thick robe on and handed Tamsin an envelope.

"What's this?"

"A letter. You should probably stay with her for a while after she reads it, ok?"

Tamsin nodded, pain shooting through her heart. As normal as hanging out with Kenzi seemed, she had to remember that this wasn't normal. Kenzi was gone. "I have to be back here by sundown. We're getting a visitor."

"Sweet deal! I'll make something to eat."

"Not that kind of visitor, Kenz. She won't want to stay."

Kenzi shrugged. "Alrighty then. Her loss."

"Stay safe. Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone, ok?"

"No promises!" Kenzi called as Tamsin walked out of her bedroom.


	7. Chapter 7

Tamsin landed with a soft thud on the roof of Bo's apartment. She retracted her wings back into her body with a slight wince and headed inside. She heard Bo crying before she saw her, and she rushed into the bedroom. Seeing Bo curled into a ball on her bed, clutching her knees to her chest and wracked with sobs, broke her heart. She gently took the Succubus in her arms, forcing her to relax her position slightly. Bo shifted, wrapping her arms around Tamsin and burying her face in her neck. Tamsin felt Bo's tears, hot and wet on her skin. Gradually, Bo relaxed until she was just sniffling. Tamsin continued to hold her, stroking her hair absently, for several quiet minutes.

Finally, Bo sat up and wiped her eyes. "Thank you."

Tamsin nodded, her face sad.

"How is she?" Bo asked quietly.

Hesitantly, Tamsin recounted Kenzi's first joust. Bo's face remained impassive until Tamsin described how Kenzi looked in full medieval armor. Bo cracked a small smile, and Tamsin continued quickly, eager to keep a smile on Bo's face. By the time Tamsin described Kenzi's pathetic dismounting, Bo was laughing, genuinely laughing, for the first time since Kenzi had died. She relished in the feeling for a moment before looking at Tamsin guiltily.

"Kenzi's dead, Tamsin."

"I know," Tamsin replied. She stared at Bo for a moment, trying to make up her mind. Finally, she pulled out the envelope Kenzi had given here. "Here," she said, handing it to Bo.

Bo took it, fear flashing on her face. "Is it...?"

Tamsin nodded. "It's from Kenzi. I'm going to let you read it, but I'm going to stay, ok? You shouldn't be alone."

Bo nodded, her eyes filling with tears preemptively. She slowly tore the envelope open, pulling out a sheet of paper. Tamsin recognized Kenzi's messy, loopy handwriting. She sat quietly, her hand on Bo's leg, while the Succubus read.

_Hey Bobolicious,_

_T told me that you're having a hard time. Well, duh, I'm kind of the bomb-diggity, and I would expect nothing less. I just need you to know that I'm ok. I've got a sweet new pad (with a bedroom for you, whenever you get here), more wine than I know how to handle, and, like, super strength._

_I also need you to know why I did it. I'm sure you're pissed at me. I'm sorry I didn't tell you what I was planning. I knew you would have stopped me, and that couldn't happen. Bo-Bo, since the first moment I met you, you've been saving my life. More than you can even understand. You gave me love and a family when I never thought that I would have that. When Tamsin translated that inscription, I knew what it meant right away. I've been your heart, Bo, but you've also been mine. And it was time for me to save you. You've always believed I was special. But, walking into that portal, that was the first time I really believed it too. Because I was special enough to you, because your love for me was big enough to actually save the freaking world._

_I'm not sorry that I did it, Bo. I needed to. I needed to because your heart is the biggest and best one I've ever known, and the world needs you. And while you continue to save the world, your human heart will be up here in Valhalla waiting. Tamsin promises that I'm not going to get any older, so I'll be living large up here. And you'll still recognize me when you arrive._

_I'm saying all of this in case you can't get me back. I know that you'll never stop trying. But if you can't get me back, just know that I'm ok, and I love you more than I love mascara._

_Oh, and one more thing. Turn to the Valkyrie that's sitting right next to you and give her a hug. She's hurting too, you know. But you still have each other. And Lauren and Dyson and Trick. You have people who love you, so so much. Not as much as me, of course, but combined they might come close._

_Forever and ever yours,_

_Kenzi_

By the time Bo reached the bottom of the page, her tears had blurred the words. She looked over at Tamsin, who was watching her with the saddest look on her face. Bo reached out and grabbed her, squeezing her neck tightly. Tamsin stiffened in the embrace, unsure of how to respond. Bo didn't let go, hugging Tamsin until the Valkyrie relaxed into her arms and returned the hug. Bo pulled her down onto the bed so that their bodies were parallel. She scooted closer, laying her head on Tamsin's chest and wrapping an arm around her waist. Tamsin held her close. She could feel Bo's body shaking as she cried quietly. She felt a tear running down her own cheek, and she pressed her lips lightly onto the top of Bo's head. They lay like that for over an hour, and Tamsin realized that Bo had fallen asleep.

From downstairs, Tamsin heard the door open and Lauren's voice floated through the apartment, calling Bo's name.

_Shit,_ Tamsin thought. She looked down at the Succubus. She really didn't want Lauren to find them like this. But she also didn't want to disturb Bo. She looked so at peace.  _Fuck it,_  she decided. She pulled Bo closer as she heard Lauren climbing the stairs.

"Bo?" Lauren appeared in the doorway and her face immediately looked confused. "Tamsin?"

Tamsin lifted one shoulder, careful not to disturb Bo. "She finally fell asleep. I didn't want to wake her."

Lauren nodded. "How is she doing?"

"Bo or Kenzi?" Tamsin asked.

Lauren's eyes widened. "Oh! You've...you've seen her?"

"She's safe in Valhalla. When Rainer died, I was able to restore his soul to Valhalla, reversing my banishment. I brought Kenzi there too. She's safe."

"Does Bo know?"

Tamsin nodded. Lauren looked a little relieved. "Good. Maybe that will help her come to terms with this."

"I wouldn't count on it. She's determined to get the little punk back."

"Is that even possible?"

Bo shifted, rolling over in her sleep. Tamsin's arm was freed, so she gently rolled off the bed and gestured to Lauren to head downstairs. Once they were out of earshot, Tamsin answered her.

"Not that I know of. It's never been done. But I'm trying. I've been trying to track down a few people, seeing if anyone can help. I'm not really holding my breath though."

Lauren nodded. "I'm sure Bo really appreciates it." She paused. "I think I'm going to wait for her to wake up. I haven't really talked to her since..."

Tamsin bristled slightly. The implication was clear; Lauren wanted her to leave. She shook it off. Lauren had a right to be alone with Bo. Bo probably wanted to see her anyway. She nodded. "Sure. I have to get back to Kenzi anyway, make sure she hasn't burned her house down or challenged anyone to a duel." She looked at Lauren. "Take care of her, ok?"

"I will."

Tamsin walked outside, extracted her wings, and took off.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Frigg took a deep breath. She was standing outside the gates of Folkvangr. She hadn't been here in hundreds of years. She avoided this place at all costs. If it weren't for the highest esteem that she held Tamsin in and the affection she was developing for Kenzi, she would not have agreed to do this. She stepped through the gate and felt the familiar pain in her chest. She stopped for a moment and clenched her fists, trying to catch her breath. The pain deepened, but she began walking again, trying to ignore it. She glanced around, keeping her eyes peeled. The last thing she wanted was an unexpected run in. She decided walking was too slow. She extracted her wings, the pain in her chest easily masking the pain from her wings. She took off, keeping her eyes focused anywhere but on the ground. She spotted Sessrumnir, Freyja's hall, up ahead. Landing softly at the top of the steps, she approached the golden door and knocked lightly. The door opened for her, and she stepped into the hall. She nodded towards the Valkyrie guards lining the walls, but they did not acknowledge her. Head bowed, she continued through the hall. When she reached the throne room, she looked up to see Freyja standing a few feet in front of her. She dropped to her knees immediately.

"My Queen."

Freyja lifted her chin until their eyes met. "My dear Frigg. It has been so long. I did not expect to see you." She gently raised Frigg to her feet. "Are you ok?"

Frigg gave her a small nod. Freyja reached over and pressed her hand to Frigg's chest. Frigg felt a momentary burst of relief from the pain, but it didn't last long. Freyja removed her hand, looking sad.

"What brings you to this place, Frigg?"

Frigg spoke quietly. "I am here to request your presence in Valhalla. The Valkyrie Tamsin begs an audience with you, but she is still Earth-bound."

"Tamsin?" Freyja looked delighted. "Of course! She hasn't been allowed in Valhalla in so many years. I was so pleased that she righted her wrongs. I would love to see her. When?"

Frigg bowed her head. "Her request is for sundown today."

"So soon?" Freyja furrowed her brow, but nodded. "Yes, of course. I will accompany you back at sundown."

Frigg swallowed hard. It was two hours to sundown. She had spent a thousand years with the pain. She could survive another two hours.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Bo woke up slowly, burying her face in the warm body next to her.

"Tamsin," she murmured, her voice low.

"Bo, it's me."

At the sound of Lauren's voice, Bo opened her eyes and sat up.

"Lauren? Where's Tamsin?"

Lauren looked taken aback. "She's…she went back to Valhalla. I wanted to be here when you woke up. How are you?"

"The most important person in the world to me is dead." Bo's voice was flat. "How do you think I am?"

Lauren shook her head. "Of course. Stupid question, I'm sorry."

"No," Bo said, sighing. "You don't need to apologize." She reached over and took her hand. "I'm glad you're here."

Lauren gave her a small smile, and then spotted the letter from Kenzi on the nightstand. She reached for it. "What's this?"

Bo grabbed it before Lauren could. "It's…it's a letter from Kenzi. It's private."

Lauren looked at her for a moment and nodded. "Of course."

They sat quietly for a while. Lauren stroked Bo's hand lightly, lost in thought. Since Kenzi's death, she had been going through the Archives, desperately searching for an account of a soul being restored to Earth after being brought to Valhalla. She hadn't found anything yet. As much as she hated to admit it, she knew that Tamsin was their best lead here. She looked down at Bo. She had never seen the Succubus look so defeated. Lauren didn't know how she'd be able to help Bo move past this. She leaned in and kissed Bo lightly. Bo pulled back.

"Lauren…"

"No, Bo." She reached up and cupped her face. "Please. Let yourself feel something other than pain." She kissed her again, keeping her lips an inch from Bo's as she whispered, "Just for a moment."

This time, Bo's lips responded to the kiss, and they fell backwards onto the bed, their bodies moving together in a frantic attempt to forget.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kenzi was standing in her new closet. For over an hour, she'd been trying on outfit after outfit. Everything in the closet fit her perfectly, and it was like she'd hit the jackpot. She stood staring at herself in the mirrors that lined the back wall. She was wearing a flared black miniskirt, a tight black tank top, and a short vest with three buttons in the front that was patterned with black and red plaid. She was currently staring down at her shoes: knee-high black leather boots with a two-inch heel. She nodded, satisfied.

"Hellz yes."

She stepped out of the closet, grabbed her bag, and headed outside. She took a few steps down the path away from her house, then looked back and smiled. It really was amazing. She continued on without any real destination in mind.

"They should really give you some kind of a map when you get here," she said out loud.

"Can I help with that?"

Kenzi whirled around to see the knight from this morning standing there. He was no longer covered in mud, and he was wearing jeans and a black t-shirt instead of full battle armor. She smirked a little.

"Well, don't you clean up nice?"

"Thank you." He smiled. "Not nearly as nice as you, however." He stepped towards her. "Is there somewhere specific you are trying to get to?"

She shook her head. "Not really. Just trying to get a feel for the place. I got a quick flying tour on my way in, but if I'm going to be here for eternity, I feel like I should at least know my way around."

"Well, I do think I could be of service in that department. I've had over six hundred years here to learn the lay of the land. Care to join me for a walk?" He offered her his arm, and she took it with a smile.

"I'm Henry," he said as they began to walk. "Sir Henry Percy."

"I'm Kenzi. Just…Kenzi," she replied with a laugh.

"It's a shame you weren't alive in the Middle Ages. You would have surely been knighted," he teased her playfully.

"How does someone even get knighted?"

He shrugged. "I was knighted when I was thirteen by King Edward III. I served in his court as a page, but I had a bit of a temper. I had a habit of challenging far more experience swordsmen to duels, but I tended to win more often than not. The King decided I would be more useful to him as a knight." He looked at Kenzi. "It was a fairly arbitrary process, at least in King Edward's court."

"Well, aren't knights allowed to create other knights? You should totally knight me."

He laughed heartily. "I believe that could be arranged. Next time I have my sword on me."

"Sweetness," Kenzi replied. "So…King Edward III, huh? Cool dude?"

"I only served under him as a knight for a few months. He died shortly after granting me knighthood. But he was an excellent monarch. His reign was not without its difficulties, but his father had nearly destroyed the kingdom years before. He managed to restore England to its former glory."

"So who took over after he died?"

"His grandson, King Richard II. He was a bit mad, and was eventually deposed."

"Sucks to be him."

Henry laughed. "That's one way of putting it. So, Kenzi, tell me about your time as a warrior."

She shrugged. "Warrior is such a…vague term. I prefer to think of myself as a hero. Savior of the human race, yadda yadda. You know how it goes."

"Not really," he replied, laughing. "It has been a while since I had any real updates on the state of Earth."

"Oh, dude, it's a shit show, seriously. Ok, so I'm human, right? And the Fae are divided into Light and Dark and they don't get along at all. Plus, humans are totally expendable in their book, so I was constantly getting into trouble. Luckily, I have the best bestie in the entire world who also happens to be one of the most badass Fae-bitches around." She glanced over at the knight, who was looking quite bemused. "So anyway, long story short, I sacrificed myself to save the world. No big deal."

Henry nodded, impressed. "And your heroism has been rewarded with eternity in paradise."

Kenzi nodded. "Seems like. Though my bestie is kind of having a hard time letting go. She's trying to figure out a way to get me back."

Henry looked serious. "Kenzi, that isn't possible. We no longer belong to the mortal plane of existence."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. But if anyone can do it, it's my friends."

He shook his head. "Well, best of luck in that endeavor. You should really give Valhalla a chance though. It really is quite an amazing place."

"It's definitely gorgeous," Kenzi replied, gazing around. They had walked maybe a mile from her house, and the waterfalls that made up much of the landscape of this place were once again in sight. She spotted a glint of glass off in the distance. "What's that?" she asked, pointing.

Henry squinted in the direction of her hand. "Hmm. I'm not sure. It may be new."

"Um, do things like that just pop up sometimes?"

"Yes," he replied. "Valhalla is paradise. Each warrior will have different ideas of what embodies their paradise. If Valhalla is lacking something that a warrior needs for eternal happiness, it rights the situation."

"Hold up," Kenzi said as they moved closer to the mysterious structure. "I think I know what that is."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Tamsin was circling in the air above Kenzi's house. She was trying to calm herself down. It wasn't sundown yet, so she had some time before Frigg returned with Freyja. She hadn't seen Freyja in over a thousand years, and she had spent all of that time in exile. She had betrayed her race, her calling, her Queen. It was unbearable to think of the shame and disappointment that she would have subjected Freyja to. It had taken her a millennium, but she had made things right. But Freyja had a long memory, and it was possible that Tamsin would have to beg for her forgiveness. Tamsin didn't do well with begging. But she'd do it for her Queen.

She flew higher, into the clouds. She scanned the surrounding area and noticed a building that she hadn't seen before. It seemed to be entirely made of glass, with metal framing. She flew towards it, squinting as she saw two figures approaching it. One of them looked a lot like Kenzi. Who was the other person? She sped off towards them, landing hard and stumbling forward.

"Kenzi!"

Kenzi whirled around. "Hey! Tammers!"

"Are you ok? Who is this guy?" She focused her gaze on the man and realized he was the knight from the competitions earlier. "Oh. You."

"Henry's been showing me around!"

Tamsin narrowed her eyes, looking at the knight. "Henry? Hotspur?" She smirked. "Long time no see."

He inclined his head towards her, smiling. "I wondered if you would remember."

Kenzi raised her eyebrows. "Someone wanna fill me in?"

"Hotspur here ran into a bit of trouble at the end of his life. Rebelling against your king is never a good idea. Luckily, he had caught Odin's eye earlier in his career, so I saved his ass when they finally put him down."

Kenzi looked over at Henry. "Decided to leave that part out, huh?"

He shrugged. "Seemed irrelevant."

Kenzi looked at Tamsin. "Ok, we can get back to that later, but first – Tammy-poo. Look at that mother-effing mall!" She pointed towards the glass building ahead.

Tamsin rolled her eyes. "Of course there's a mall." She grabbed Kenzi's hand. "Kenz, I swear to you that you can come back here. But right now, we have an appointment we have to deal with."

"Nooooo. So close!"

Tamsin turned to the knight. "Thanks for keeping her company, Hotspur. But I'll take it from here." She extracted her wings, grabbed Kenzi around the waist, and lifted her into the air. Kenzi shrieked in delight as they soared through the air. They landed in the front yard just as the sun sank beneath the horizon and the sky began to swirl with golden light. Tamsin pulled her wings in and looked at Kenzi.

"Well, it's go time." She grabbed Kenzi's arm. "Kenz, try not to say anything, ok? I might have to embarrass myself a little bit. Just go with it." Kenzi nodded, and Tamsin looked back up at the sky. As the clouds parted, piercing light covered her, and she dropped to her knees.

"My Queen."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been really fun digging into history and mythology to write this. Sir Henry Percy was a real knight, and he was known for his temper, so I thought he'd be a fun addition. Hope you guys are enjoying it!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think!

Tamsin's head was bowed as Freyja approached her.

"Tamsin. Stand and face me."

Tamsin got to her feet but kept her head bowed. Freyja reached out and touched her arm.

"Tamsin."

She raised her eyes slowly to see Freyja smiling at her. "You're not pissed at me?"

Freyja laughed lightly. "Oh, Tamsin. Have you been terrified all these years that I was angry with you?"

Tamsin cocked her eyebrow. "Um. Kinda?"

Freyja stepped towards her and embraced her warmly. "Welcome home." She released Tamsin, who stumbled back, looking shocked. "Tamsin, I was disappointed in you. Your choice was difficult to understand at the time. Odin was definitely angry with you, and with me, since I trained you. But time has passed, and I forgave you long ago. And now you've redeemed yourself. I am so pleased."

"Thank you, Freyja. I'm so sorry that I betrayed you."

"I appreciate that, Tamsin."

Frigg pulled Kenzi into the house, leaving Tamsin and Freyja to catch up. "Kenzi, I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Dude, did you freaking see that chick? So, she's, like, a goddess?"

"Yes, she is. Kenzi, please focus."

Kenzi took a deep breath. "Yes, sorry Friggy. What's up?"

"It's serious."

"Dude, I'm totally serious. Lay it on me."

Frigg paused for a moment and looked at Kenzi seriously. "While I was in Folkvangr, I visited the Hall of Records and looked into your friend Hale."

Kenzi's heart thudded in her chest. "And?"

"He was brought to Sessrumnir after his death. Freyja's hall in Folkvangr."

Kenzi furrowed her brow. "Frigg. English. Please."

"Folkvangr is a different plane, much like Earth. Human souls cannot travel between the planes. You cannot see him." Frigg's voice was low and her head was bowed. "I am so sorry."

Kenzi sat down on the bench in the hallway. Tears sprung to her eyes. "What?"

Frigg reached over and took her hand. "Kenzi, I – "

Tamsin appeared in the doorway behind them, speaking rapidly. "Freyja has granted me one-time passage to Folkvangr. I have to go."

Kenzi stood up and grabbed her arm. "You have to take me!"

"Wha…Kenzi, I…I can't. It's like trying to get you back to Earth."

"Tamsin." Tears were running down Kenzi's cheeks. "Hale is there."

Tamsin just looked at her for a moment. She shook her head. "Give me a second." She walked back out the door to where Freyja still stood patiently. Frigg watched them out the window, rubbing Kenzi's shoulder awkwardly. After several minutes of arguing, Tamsin strode back into the house. "Ok. Let's go."

Kenzi looked up at her tearfully. "Really?"

Frigg glanced at Tamsin sharply. There was no way it was that easy. "I'm coming."

Tamsin glanced at her. "Are you sure?"

Frigg sighed heavily and nodded. "Yes."

"Ok. Then we have to go. Now." She grabbed Kenzi's hand and pulled her outside. "Kenz, this is going to hurt a little bit. Just close your eyes, ok?"

Kenzi squeezed her eyes shut and felt Tamsin wrap her arms around her. She cried out as she felt an immense amount of pressure squeezing her body. Air seemed to be rushing around her face, and she couldn't even hear herself think over the intense whooshing in her ears. Tamsin was trying to hold her reassuringly, but at this point, Kenzi couldn't tell where the Valkyrie's arms stopped and where the pressure began. She gasped for breath, unable to fill her lungs. Just when she thought she couldn't survive another second, the pressure disappeared. Kenzi would have fallen to the ground, but Tamsin was still holding her tightly. She was also panting. She looked down at the human.

"You ok?"

Kenzi nodded, not trusting herself to speak quite yet. She looked over at Frigg, who had dropped onto her knees and was clutching her chest. Kenzi took a wobbly step towards her.

"Frigg?" Her voice was hoarse.

Frigg squeezed her eyes shut before standing up and giving Kenzi a small smile. "I'm ok, Kenzi," she reassured the girl. Freyja was looking at Frigg sadly, but Kenzi didn't notice.

Tamsin walked over to Frigg and put a hand on her shoulder. "Are you going to be ok? I have to go do something, can you take care of Kenzi?"

Frigg nodded tersely. "Yes. I'll be ok." She stepped over to where Kenzi was swaying and grasped her arm fully, balancing her. She led her over to a fallen log and sat her day, giving her a few minutes to collect herself.

Tamsin knelt in front of her. "Kenz, I'm sorry about that. I'll be as quick as I can, ok?" She handed Frigg a small wooden disc. "Keep this on you. I'll be able to use it track you guys down when I'm done." Frigg nodded, and Tamsin ran off, extending her wings and taking flight. The pair watched her until her figure disappeared.

Freyja spoke. "I will leave you here as well. Frigg, the girl is your responsibility. You must be back to Valhalla before the morning or you will all be forced to stay here."

Frigg gulped and nodded. "I understand."

Freyja turned and flew off.

Kenzi finally found her voice. "What the heck was that, Frigg?"

"Kenzi, you're not supposed to be allowed to move between planes, you know that. For those of us that are allowed here, the journey is easy. For souls that don't belong, it's like...it's like trying to fit a basketball inside of a golf ball."

"Really? Sports? That's the analogy you went with?"

Frigg gave her a tight smile. "Like trying to fit a tube of mascara through the eye of a needle."

"Got it." She took a deep breath and stood up. "Where is he, Frigg?"

Frigg sighed. "I don't know exactly. He could be anywhere. We can start in The Great Hall of Sessrumnir. Maybe someone there will know." She looked at the girl. "Would you like to fly?" Kenzi nodded, and Frigg withdrew her wings. The pain that shot through her body was a welcome relief from the ache in her chest.

Kenzi studied her face carefully. "Frigg, are you ok? Actually?"

Frigg brushed the question off. "I'll be fine." Without letting Kenzi speak another word, she grabbed her and lifted them into the air. After the painful journey there, Kenzi couldn't even bring herself to enjoy the flight. She just clutched Frigg and squeezed her eyes shut. In a few minutes, Frigg landed gracefully in front of the Great Hall and gently lowered Kenzi to the ground. Kenzi gaped at the building in front of them. Like in Valhalla, the Great Hall was solid gold. But the Hall in Valhalla was plain. Here, every square inch of the exterior gold was etched with intricate depictions of battles throughout history. Frigg spoke quietly. "The etchings are equivalent to the murals in Valhalla. Every warrior's final battle is recorded here."

"Wow," Kenzi breathed as she gazed up at the engravings in awe. "It's beautiful."

"Folkvangr is a beautiful place."

Kenzi looked at Frigg. "How is it decided where a warrior's soul goes? Like, Tamsin brought me to Valhalla, but could I have ended up here?"

Frigg nodded. "Valkyrie literally means 'chooser of the slain.' But ultimately, we work for the Gods. Tamsin and myself both worked for Odin. When we were sent out to battle to retrieve souls, it was on his orders. Freyja has her own Valkyrie who do the same. Freyja and Odin work together to determine which warriors they each claim."

"So Hale ended up here."

Frigg nodded again. "Claimed by Freyja, yes."

"Ok." Kenzi took a deep breath. "Let's go." She strode confidently towards the Hall. Frigg followed behind, clenching her fists. The effort of trying to hide the pain from Kenzi was taking a toll on her. She followed Kenzi up the steps and to the door. Kenzi pushed the door open carefully and stuck her head in. Unlike the Great Hall in Valhalla, she was not immediately assaulted by lively chatter. The first room she entered was empty.

"Where is everyone?" she whispered.

"The main gathering room is up ahead. This is the throne room."

Sure enough, at the end of the hall there was a throne sitting on a platform. It looked like it was made from some kind of metal, but as they got closer, Kenzi saw that it was actually made of silky fabric. The fabric had a metallic sheen, but Kenzi could see that it was actually beautifully patterned up close. "Damn. So this is where Freyja sits?" Frigg smiled lightly.

"She is the Queen."

She brushed past Kenzi lightly and led the way behind the throne to a second door. They passed through it, and Kenzi began to hear the faint sounds of merriment. In front of her, Frigg suddenly stopped and bent over, clutching at her chest. Kenzi grabbed her.

"Woah there. You ok, Friggy?"

"Kenzi," she gasped. "I'm so sorry. I can't go any farther with you."

"What? What's wrong? Are you ok?"

"I have to get out of here." She looked up at Kenzi frantically. "I'm so sorry. Go. The gathering room is up ahead. Ask for Borghild. She will help you. I will wait outside."

With that, she turned and ran back the way the came, stumbling and gasping. Kenzi stared after her, confused and torn. She wanted to go after her, but Frigg had given her instructions. She took a deep breath and moved forward, into the gathering room. It was set up much like the Great Hall in Valhalla, with long tables and benches lining each wall. There were people talking, laughing, drinking, and eating. She smiled as she watched a girl, no older than seven, chase a dog with a tiny sword in her hand. She grabbed a passing Valkyrie.

"Um. I'm looking for Borghild."

The Valkyrie smiled and gestured towards a woman serving wine a few seats ahead of where she was standing.

"Thanks," Kenzi said with a smile, as she made her way over to the woman. She tapped on the shoulder. "Excuse me?" The woman looked up and Kenzi was struck by her piercing blue eyes. She was absolutely stunning, which high cheekbones and a beautiful smile.

"Can I help you?"

"Um. Hi. Yeah, Frigg sent me? She told me to ask for you. I'm looking for someone."

"Frigg?" Borghild furrowed her brow. "She's here? In Folkvangr?"

"Yeah, she's waiting outside."

Borghild quickly turned and scanned the hall. "Ah," she said, as she spotted a woman sitting on one of the benches along the wall. "Yes. Of course." She turned back to Kenzi. "Who are you looking for?"

"Um, his name is Hale? He would have only gotten here about a week ago. About this tall?" She held up her hand. "Perfect abs? Enchanting voice?"

Borghild smiled. "Ah, yes. I know who you mean. He's been quite a hit." She pointed down the length of the hall. "I believe he's up there, on the left. You won't be able to miss him."

"Thanks," Kenzi replied with a small smile. She made her way up the aisle slowly, her heart thudding in her chest. What was he going to think when he saw her? It didn't seem like people here were very up to date on the goings-on of Earth. He would have no idea that she was dead. She wet her lips nervously. She was scanning the benches continuously, looking for his face. Suddenly, she heard his voice up ahead. She increased her pace, smiling as she heard him laughing. He came into view and she stopped dead.

"Hale?" she asked incredulously.

Hale was sitting on the bench, leaning against the wall, his shirt unbuttoned. He had his arms around two women on either side of him, and there were two more sitting across the table, leaning in. He looked up, his face registering the shock that he must be feeling.

"Kenzi?"

Kenzi took another moment to observe the scene, then turned and stalked away. Hale stood up, quickly pushing the women to the side.

"Get off of - Lil Mama! Wait!" He chased after her through the hall. "Kenzi!" He caught her arm just as she was re-entering the throne room and spun her around. "Kenzi! Wait! What are you doing here?"

"What do you think?" she snapped. "I came to visit my dead fiancée."

"That's not - that's not possible! You can't just visit Folkvangr. What are you - "

"Moved on quick, huh?"

He stared at her. "Oh come on, Lil Mama, that's not fair."

"Oh, it's not?"

He took her hand. "Kenzi. I never thought I would see you again." He tugged at her gently, and she allowed herself to be pulled into his embrace. He cupped her face in his hands. "How did you get even more beautiful?" he asked softly.

Kenzi felt her anger dissipating. "Hale..."

"Kenz, what are you doing here? I don't understand."

Kenzi bowed her head. "I kind of...died."

"What?" Hale slumped to the floor heavily. "Kenzi, what?"

Kenzi squatted down next to him. "Things got bad, Hale. Really really bad. Bo's dad raised an army of revenants from this portal to hell. There was this prophecy. Your death was foretold, even."

He shook his head in shock. "Why the hell didn't they protect you?"

"Hey," Kenzi said fiercely, taking his hands. "I don't need protecting."

He smiled at her softly. "I know that, baby girl."

"I saved the world, Hale. Me. I saved all of them. My death closed the portal."

He gathered her into his arms, leaning back against the wall. She pressed her cheek to his chest and inhaled deeply. "God, I've missed you."

He kissed the top of her head. "So you're here? For good? I get you back?"

Kenzi hesitated. "Well. No. Tamsin brought me to Valhalla. I just...I needed to see you. Just one more time."

Hale released her, scooting away. "What? You came here just to...what? Say goodbye?" His eyes were glistening.

"Hale," Kenzi moved back towards him. "I didn't get to say goodbye to you. You died right in front of me. So, yeah." Her eyes were filled with tears, and they started to spill over. "If this is all I get, just this one last moment? It's one more moment than I would have had otherwise." Her shoulders started to shake as she began to cry, and Hale immediately pulled her back into his arms.

"You're right, Kenzi," he said softly. "I'll take all the moments I can get."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Outside the hall, Frigg had collapsed on the lawn. She was clutching her chest and gasping for air. Tears were streaming down her face as her body heaved in anguish. She couldn't breathe. She hadn't been prepared for an encounter. She had done everything possible in the past five hundred years to avoid this.

She struggled to catch her breath. She had to get it together before Kenzi got back. She squeezed her hands together, digging her nails into her own palms. The pain distracted her slightly and she was able to take a ragged breath. She decided she needed to get farther away, but she couldn't leave Kenzi. She extracted her wings and took off, moving skyward rapidly. Once she was in the air, she could breathe a little deeper. She circled, keeping an eye on the ground below.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Tamsin landed outside of a small village. She scanned the huts, checking to see if anyone was around. She spotted a man tending the fire in the center of the huts and she walked towards him.

"Excuse me," she called as she approached him.

He turned around. "Yeah?"

"I'm looking for Ilyana. Is she here?"

A flash of anger crossed his face. "Who's asking?"

She held up her hands in a conciliatory gesture. "Hey, it's ok. My name is Tamsin. I just need to talk to her for a second."

He shook his head, disgusted. "When will you people leave her alone?"

"Sorry, what?"

He ignored her, striding towards one of the huts. He threw the door open and stepped inside. He was out of sight for a moment before he reappeared, a stunning young woman in tow. As they got closer to Tamsin, the Valkyrie realized she was pregnant.

"Shit," she muttered under her breath. This just got significantly more complicated.

Ilyana approached her. "What do you want?"

"Um," Tamsin stammered, "I have a message. From Thor."

The girl rolled her eyes. "Let me guess. He's breaking up with me?"

"Uh, yeah," Tamsin replied, holding out the letter. "I'm really sorry."

"I'm shocked." She snatched the letter from Tamsin's hand and read it quickly, letting out a harsh laugh. "Whatever. Is that all?"

Tamsin was about to say yes, but she was feeling pretty guilty. "Um. Is that asshole the father?"

The girl smirked. "Yep. Knocking up a human is really frowned upon. Because there are not enough demigods in the world, of course." Her words dripped with sarcasm, and Tamsin smiled lightly.

"So is he refusing to take care of the kid or trying to take it from you?"

"Option number 2. Apparently, THIS kid is going to be special."

"Is he allowed to do that?"

Ilyana shrugged. "He's a god. Son of Odin. He's allowed to do whatever he wants."

"I'm sorry. That's…really shitty."

"Whatever. It's not your problem. How'd you get roped into this?"

"He's doing me a favor. I had to do one for him in exchange."

"As long as your favor doesn't involve you sleeping with him."

Tamsin smirked. "He wishes."

The girl laughed. "I've got everyone here on my side. We're not giving this kid up without a fight."

"Good." Tamsin reached into her pocket and pulled out another small wooden disk. "Listen, if you need any help, use this. I'm not actually allowed in Folkvangr, this is kind of a one-time deal. But I've got friends here. They'll come running if you call."

"Thank you." Ilyana smiled. "You know, you're really pretty."

Tamsin snorted. "Thanks, I guess." She turned and walked away. When she was out of the village, she extracted her wings and took off.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Down below her, Frigg saw Kenzi emerge from the hall. She sped towards the ground and landed roughly in front of her. She saw that her eyes were red and puffy and she immediately grabbed her, hugging her tightly. Kenzi returned the hug and when she pulled away, she had a small smile on her face.

"Thanks Friggy." She got a concerned look on her face. "Hey, what happened in there? Are you ok?"

Frigg gave her a small smile. "I'll be ok when we get out of here."

"Can we go back now?"

"Are you sure? How did things go in there?"

Kenzi was quiet for a moment. "Frigg, why aren't I more sad? When Hale died..." she took a deep breath. "It was the worst moment of my life."

"Valhalla is paradise," Frigg reminded her gently. "The pain and burdens you carry with you from your Earth-bound existence are relieved when you pass through the gates. You still feel emotions, of course. You grieve for the loss of Bo, and you grieve for the loss of Hale. But they won't weigh as heavily on your heart as they would on Earth."

"But I..." a tear spilled out of Kenzi's eye. "I miss him."

Frigg placed a hand on her shoulder. "Of course you do. You always will. But being in paradise makes things easier to deal with."

Kenzi wiped her eyes carefully. "Ugh. I must look terrible."

"No, you look fine."

Kenzi looked towards the sky. "So this is it, huh? Once I leave here, I'll really never see him again?"

"I'm afraid not."

She took a deep breath. "Alright Friggy. Let's blow this popsicle stand."

Frigg breathed a sigh of relief. "The return trip will be less unpleasant." She wrapped her arms around Kenzi and the girl once again felt a bit of pressure. But Frigg was right, this was much less painful. They landed on her front lawn and Frigg released her. They walked inside slowly. Kenzi pushed open her front door and headed towards the kitchen. She sat down at the table and Frigg joined her.

"Are you ok, Kenzi?"

Kenzi gave her a small smile. "I will be." She looked at Frigg carefully. "Ok, what was that back there?"

Frigg sighed. "Would you like to hear my long, sad story?"

Kenzi nodded. "Yes. Maybe it will make me feel better about my story."

Frigg shrugged. "Probably."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Tamsin walked up the front gate of Bilskirnir. Once again, the guards let her in without any issues. She stormed through the throne room and found Thor.

"Seriously, asshole? She's pregnant."

Thor smirked. "That's right, Tammy. I'm going to be a daddy."

"You're a pig."

"So, I take it she took it well?"

Tamsin groaned. "Can we just get this over with?"

Thor clapped his hands together. "Great! You have to get dressed first."

Tamsin rolled her eyes and followed him deeper into the hall.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Very Frigg-heavy chapter. I hope you guys are liking it! Let me know what you think =]

Frigg sighed heavily. "I told you that I used to have a best friend, remember?"

"Mhm," Kenzi nodded. "Wait!" She exclaimed suddenly. She jumped up from the table and ran over to one of the cabinets, pouring two glasses of wine. She brought them back to the table. "This seemed like a story better consumed with alcohol."

Frigg took the glass from her. "Thanks Kenzi."

"So, your bestie?"

Frigg gave her a small smile. "She was…she was really more than that. She was my everything."

Kenzi wiggled her eyebrows. "Like, bow chicka bow wow?"

"That, and more. Valkyrie, in their lifetimes, are allowed to love just once. It's not just love; it's called the bond. If a Valkyrie bonds with her warrior, it becomes an unshakeable love. I met my warrior during my tenth life. Her name was Corinna."

Kenzi smiled. "Pretty name. Was she beautiful?"

Frigg's eyes softened and a smile crept across her face. "Oh, Kenzi. She was incredible. She was a warrior in ancient Greece. She competed in the Heraea Games; she won the races almost every year. Her strength and tenacity was unrivaled. I had been sent to Greece to collect the soul of a warrior killed during a duel. A crowd had gathered to watch the fight, and I had to force my way to his body. When I got there, I found the most beautiful woman I had ever seen applying pressure to his wounds. She was too late, of course. But she was the only person in the crowd that even tried to help him. That was just how she was. She was just as gentle and selfless as she was strong and independent." Frigg shook her head, laughing lightly. "Needless to say, I didn't make as good a first impression."

"What happened?" Kenzi asked. She was listening to the story, enraptured.

"I had a job to do. But I hadn't been prepared for this beautiful woman. I had to tell her that the man was dead and that I was there to take him to Valhalla. But I couldn't speak. The words got jumbled in my head, and I just panicked. I pushed her to the side and just grabbed him."

Kenzi giggled. "Smooth, Friggy. Real smooth."

"I transported the soul to Valhalla, as was my duty. But I returned to Earth as quickly as possible. I spent the day scouring the streets, trying to find the mystery woman. Unfortunately, the city was crowded. I had nothing to go off of except that she was the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen." She smirked. "Which apparently is not specific enough for anyone to help me out."

"So did you find her?"

Frigg shook her head. "Not that day. But I went back, every single day. I refused to give up. Finally, after weeks of searching, I found her in the market one day. I watched her for a while through the crowds. I was terrified to talk to her. I saw her make a few challenging trades. I was impressed with her ability to handle herself so well in such a male-dominated culture. She completed her business at the market and headed down an alley. I followed her, not wanting to lose her. But when I stepped into the alley, she was just…gone. It was like she had disappeared into thin air. I turned back, completely dejected and ready to return to Valhalla when, out of nowhere, I was tackled to the ground."

"Oh, shit! She got the jump on you?"

Frigg smiled. "Damn straight she did," she intoned, sounding a lot like Kenzi. "She demanded to know why I was stalking her. She had apparently seen me all day, skulking around like a massive creep. She was just waiting to see what I was intending, but she had gotten impatient. Mind you, all of these demands were made while she was straddling me."

"You were a little distracted, eh?"

"Just a little bit," Frigg smirked. "I managed to stammer out that I was a Valkyrie, acting on Odin's orders. That gave her enough pause that she let me stand up."

_The two women walked through the streets, one anxious and one cautious._

_"I apologize for attacking you. One can never be too careful, especially these days."_

_Frigg shook her head. "No, I apologize. I should have spoken to you earlier. My behavior was suspicious, I understand."_

_"So, why were you following me?"_

_Frigg once again found that she could not speak coherently in the presence of this woman. "I was just…I thought that…I'd like…" She stopped speaking and sighed. "You're beautiful."_

_The woman seemed taken aback for a moment, but recovered quickly. "Actually," she replied, smiling. "I'm Corinna."_

"There wasn't a single doubt in my mind that she was the mythical 'one' I had heard so much about. The concept is familiar to Valkyrie, but we are not encouraged to bond. We lose all sense of a greater purpose when we bond. Our lives become focused on protecting our warrior. But I knew that I couldn't deny what I felt for this woman, and more importantly, I didn't want to. But it wasn't just up to me. Corinna had to fall in love with me as well. But I wasn't exactly the sweet, charming woman you see today."

"Charming? Really?"

"Hey," Frigg protested, laughing. "The point is, I was a hardened warrior. I wasn't used to allowing myself be vulnerable which, as you know, is key to allowing someone to get close enough to you to fall in love. I was fighting my instincts every second, trying to be open with her. It had mixed results.

_"What do you mean you don't have a family?"_

_Frigg looked at the ground. "I just don't. Why is that so hard for you to understand?"_

_"Frigg, you exist. You weren't magically created out of thin air. You obviously came from somewhere."_

_"Fine, so I had a family. But I don't anymore."_

_"Why is it so hard for you to talk to me?  
_

_"Why is it so hard for you to understand that there are some things that it's very difficult for me to talk about?" Frigg turned away, frustrated, and Corinna grabbed her arm._

_"Please. Do not walk away from me."_

_Frigg turned back towards her, her eyes softening as she gazed at the incredible woman standing in front of her. "I can't."_

_"Can't what?"_

_"I can't walk away from you. Even if I wanted to."_

"So basically, you used to be Tamsin? Man, what is it with you Valkyrie? And how did you get all nice now?"

Frigg smiled sadly. "Kenzi, you have to understand. Valkyrie are trained to eschew normal emotions. We suppress anything that could be viewed as a weakness. Allowing anyone to get too close to us is dangerous; we could be asked to destroy them at any moment. Odin and Freyja rule our lives; they determine exactly what we do every second of every day. By spending time with Corinna, I was putting both of us in danger. Tamsin is still Earth-bound. She is, therefore, still bound to Odin and his will. It's difficult for Valkyrie to do anything outside of his will."

Kenzi wrinkled her nose. "But Tam-Tam has defied Odin. At least twice, I think?"

Frigg shook her head. "And she's been punished severely for her actions. While I was spending time with Corinna, Odin and Freyja were conspiring to keep us apart. They began sending me further and further away on my missions to transport souls. But I was still young, and strong. I continued to return to Corinna every chance I got, and I slowly began letting my guard down. Whether by choice or by force, she started breaking down my walls. I still remember the exact moment when she told me she loved me for the first time."

_They were lying in bed. Corinna was curled up on Frigg's chest. Frigg was feeling unusually at peace. Usually whenever she was with Corinna her anxiety was running wild, for one reason or another. But at this moment, she was so incredibly content. She was stroking Corinna's arm absentmindedly, and Corinna shivered.  
_

_"Frigg?" she said quietly, turning her head and staring up at the Valkyrie._

_"Mmm?" Frigg responded, pulling the woman closer._

_"Are Valkyrie capable of love?"_

_Frigg's breath caught in her throat. "In certain circumstances, yes."_

_"Is this…is this one of those circumstances."_

_Frigg cleared her throat. "Why do you ask?"_

_"Because, Frigg. I…I love you. I'm in love with you. And I can't handle continuing this if I know that there's no chance you could feel the same way."_

_Frigg swiftly pressed her lips to Corinna's. She pulled away and gazed down at the woman._

_"Corinna, I've loved you since the first moment I saw you. I'll love you for the rest of my lives, if you'll let me."_

_As she spoke the words, Frigg felt a tug from deep inside herself. She felt, rather than saw, a stream of energy moving from her body to Corinna's. At that moment, she knew she had offered herself, heart and soul, to the human. Now it was up to Corinna whether or not she wished to accept the sacred bond._

_Corinna looked at her intensely. "Frigg, I'm a human. You will outlive me a hundred times over."_

_Frigg took her hands. "Not necessarily."_

Frigg looked at Kenzi. "If a Valkyrie bonds with a human, their life cycles are linked. As long as the Valkyrie lives, so too does their warrior. If the Valkyrie dies protecting their warrior, she will be reborn and they will be reunited." She smiled, remembering. "Corinna accepted the bond. From that moment on, we were as one. Our hearts, minds, and souls were inextricably linked. I could hear her thinking even if we were on different planes of existence. I could sense her emotions. And my power increased to the point where I was essentially invulnerable. Together, we were unstoppable."

She paused and took a sip of her wine. "As much as we are discouraged from bonding, once a bond is made, it is accepted and even treasured. I was still expected to report to Odin, but now, if Corinna needed me, it was understood that she was my priority. For 1,500 years, we traveled the globe. I died twice during that time. The first time, it was during a battle. I had been sent to retrieve a soul, but when I arrived on the battlefield, his body was still surrounded. I fought my way through the bloody melee, but I was killed before I reached him. I was reborn and returned to Corinna as quickly, but she had suffered greatly in my absence. The pain of being removed from me was excruciating. The next time I died, it was while I was protecting her. This meant that we were not separated, even for an instance. We returned to Earth stronger than ever, ready to face any obstacle."

She looked at Kenzi sadly. "This is where things start to go downhill, Kenzi."

Kenzi gulped down her wine and refilled both glasses. "Hit me with it, Friggy."

_Frigg was in Valhalla, transporting an Icelandic warrior to the hall. They had just made it inside, and she was showing him to his final battle scene. Suddenly, she dropped to her knees, feeling as though she was being stabbed in the heart. She gasped.  
_

_"Corinna!"_

_Without wasting another second, she fled the hall and flew back to Earth. Her heart felt like it was shattering. She took a deep breath and concentrated. She heard Corinna's voice in her head._

_'Frigg! Frigg! Help me!  
_

_She cried out. Corinna was in pain. She launched herself in the air, flying to where Corinna was as fast as physically possible. From the air, she looked down and saw a crowd below. In the center of a circle, she saw her warrior, desperately trying to fight off a group of men hell-bent on attacking her. Frigg sped down, knocking several men to the ground._

_"Corinna!" she screamed._

_Corinna turned her face towards her Valkyrie. "Frigg! Help!"_

_The next moments were a blur for Frigg. She tore everyone in the crowd apart with her bare hands. The screams of men echoed through the trees. When her rage began to subside, Frigg was covered in blood. She looked around her. Scraps of flesh and unrecognizable body parts surrounded her. A few feet in front of her, also showered in blood, she saw Corinna. The human had a knife in her gut, blood rushing from the wound. Frigg fell to her knees and lifted her head gently._

_"Corinna? My love?"_

_Corinna tried to speak, but when she opened her mouth, blood dribbled. She let out a gurgling moan, and Frigg felt agony building inside of her._

_"Corinna. No, please. You can't leave me." Frigg began to sob, clutching her warrior to her chest. "Please. No."_

_As Corinna gasped for breath, Frigg felt her heart tearing from her chest. The excruciating pain increased until it was overwhelming her. She screamed in anguish as she felt the remnants of Corinna's soul leaving Earth._

A single tear ran down Frigg's cheek. Kenzi took her hand and squeezed it tightly.

"Frigg, I'm so, so sorry," she said softly.

Frigg shook her head, wiping the tear away carefully. "The story isn't over yet, Kenzi."

Kenzi furrowed her brow, distressed. Frigg continued.

"She was brought to Folkvangr. As you learned from Tamsin, Earth-bound Valkyrie are only allowed in Freyja's domain once every thousand years. I was not allowed in to see her. The pain never diminished. It was as if my heart had been ripped from my chest. I had never experienced such pain." She looked at Kenzi sadly. "Now you see why I was so eager for my Earth-bound existence to finally end. I had hoped that when I was finally taken to Valhalla permanently, I would be free of the pain and reunited with my love. Unfortunately, my punishment was not over."

She took another gulp of wine before she continued. "They don't tell you everything about the bond. When I bonded with Corinna, I essentially swore an oath that her life was worth more than mine. I should have protected her. I never should have left her alone. It was all my fault that she was dead. And I could never forgive myself. But I hoped that I could see her again and beg for forgiveness." She took a deep breath. "Once I was in Valhalla permanently, the pain did subside somewhat. It became manageable. But the first thing I did was head to Folkvangr. The moment I crossed into Freyja's realm, the pain was back worse than ever. Freyja herself greeted me at the gates to Sessrumnir."

_"Frigg, my dear. Welcome home."_

_Frigg clutched at her chest. "My Queen. What is happening to me? I thought the pain would subside."  
_

_Freyja bowed her head, taking Frigg's hand. She spoke gently. "Frigg. I am so sorry. There are things you need to know."  
_

_"Where is she, Freyja? I haven't seen her in over 500 years."  
_

_"Frigg, she doesn't remember you."_

_"What?" Frigg looked up at the queen. "What do you mean?"_

_"According to our laws, you lost the right to your bonded warrior when you let her die." Freyja's voice was strained, and it was clear that delivering this news to Frigg was incredibly difficult for her. "She lost all memory of you when she was brought here. You can never be reunited."_

_Frigg felt her anguish building. "What? How can you do this to me?"_

_"I'm so sorry, my dear. It was not your fault that she was killed. But the bond comes with a sacred set of guidelines. You are bound to protect your warrior. If she dies, you forfeit your right to love her. You will be forced to live without your heart for the rest of eternity." Freyja paused, looked at the distress on Frigg's face. She continued sadly. "While you are separated on other planes, the pain will be manageable. But while you are here in Folkvangr, the closer you are to her, the greater the pain will be. You can see her, if you so choose. The pain will be terrible, but you can do it. But she will not recognize you. She will not know you. And she will never be able to feel for you again."_

_Frigg collapsed to the ground and buried her face in her hands. "No. Please. I cannot do this. I can't live without her any longer."_

_Freyja knelt next to her and touched her shoulder. "You have no choice, Frigg."_

_Frigg gasped, trying to catch her breath. "I need to see her."_

_Freyja pulled her to her feet. "That is your choice. I do not recommend it. But she is in the Great Hall, if you so choose."_

_Frigg stumbled towards the hall. The pain in her chest seemed insurmountable. It wracked her body, shooting spasms down her spine. She struggled through the throne room and collapsed on the tiles in the main gathering room. Immediately, two Valkyrie descended upon her._

_"Sister, are you ok?"_

_Frigg gasped, trying to speak. "Corinna," she managed._

_The Valkyrie exchanged glances. They helped Frigg to her feet and led her down the aisle. People turned and stared as the trio made their way past benches and tables filled with jubilant warriors. Frigg's face was contorted in pain, and she could barely move her legs. The two Valkyrie stopped and gestured towards the table to their left. Frigg turned her face in that direction and felt her last shred of control leave her body as she gazed at Corinna._

_"Corinna!" she screamed in agony. The woman turned her head and stared at Frigg blankly. Her face registered concern for the Valkyrie, and empathy at her obvious distress. But there was no familiarity, nothing that told Frigg that she recognized her at all. She collapsed, sobbing, and the two Valkyrie supporting her caught her as her legs gave out. They carried her out of the hall. She fell to the grass, hysterical. Freyja rejoined her. She picked the Valkyrie up and carried her back to Valhalla. When they crossed into Odin's realm, the physical pain ceased slightly. But the emotional torment was still present, and Frigg could not be calmed. Freyja stayed with her until she finally fell asleep._

Kenzi was looking at the Valkyrie in shock. "Frigg, I'm so sorry. How do you stand it? I'm so sorry you had to go to Folkvangr!"

Frigg looked at her sadly. "Some days are harder than others. The ache never really goes away. Not a day goes by that I don't think about her. After that first day, I avoided going to Folkvangr. It feels cowardly, still. But I can't handle the pain." She shook her head. "Some days, nothing in life feels worth it without her. But what can I do? There's no escape. This is the end of the line." She looked at Kenzi, tears in her eyes. "I miss her every second. But I've accepted that I can never have her back. It's my own fault. I deserve this punishment. She was my life, Kenzi. And I let her die."

Kenzi wrapped her arms around the Valkyrie as she began to sob. She held her, stroking her hair lightly, for several minutes. Finally, Frigg pulled back, wiping her eyes.

"I'm sorry Kenzi." She looked sad, but tried to smile. "I told you it was a sad story."

"Man, you really weren't kidding."

She shook her head. "I wish I was." She took a deep breath. "Can we do something else? Distract ourselves from our sorrows a little bit?"

Kenzi stood up. "I know just the thing. Friggy-poo, have you ever had ponchiki?"

Frigg smiled up at her. "No, I haven't."

Kenzi pulled her to her feet. "Well, let's get baking."

The two women walked into the kitchen, leaning on each other and smiling lightly.


	10. Chapter 10

"No. Absolutely not."

Tamsin's voice floated angrily over the top of the partition. Thor stood on the other side, leaning against the wall and smirking.

"Tammy, if you're going to come to dinner with my father, there are certain expectations you'll have to meet.

"Do not call me that!"

"Come out and let me see you."

"Not happening."

"Tamsin. You're not getting in to see my father without me. This is the deal."

Thor heard a loud, agonized groan coming from over the partition. Then, Tamsin appeared. She was wearing a long, flowing, white gown. It was cinched tightly around her waist with a golden cord. Perched on her head was a delicate golden tiara. Thor let out a low whistle.

"No. Screw this. I look ridiculous."

"No, you look hot."

"Listen, fucktard. I'm not going anywhere looking like this."

"Worried about your street cred?"

"Yeah, kinda!" She flapped her arms, demonstrating that the gown had a lace overlay that was attached at her wrists. "I look like a fucking swan."

Thor smirked. "Exactly what daddy dearest will be looking for."

Tamsin groaned. "Fine. Let's get this over with."

"Don't sound so excited," Thor replied. He grabbed her hand and she allowed herself to be dragged outside. He turned to her. "Close your eyes."

Tamsin complied reluctantly. She felt a breeze rustling past her face and she took a deep breath. When the breeze suddenly disappeared, she opened her eyes and blinked. She was standing in a gilded throne room. Thor was still holding her hand, and she pulled it away disgustedly.

"So. This is the palace, huh? Home sweet home?"

He shrugged. "Well, it's not like I have a lot of warm and fuzzy feelings about this place. It's just another palace, another great hall, another throne room. Just so happens that this is where Odin, Ruler of Asgard, lives." He gestured towards another golden door at the end of the hall. "Come on, this way." They walked slowly through the room. Tamsin glanced over at him. He was fidgeting with his hands, looking at his feet. There seemed to be an invisible force pulling him backwards, because their pace kept decreasing. Eventually, it was like they weren't even moving.

"Um…Thunder-douche? What's up?"

He glared at her. "Look, I'm not exactly the shining example of a God that my father was hoping for. None of his kids are, really, so I'm the closest he's got to a hopeful future. There's…a lot of pressure, ok?"

Tamsin laughed. "You're telling me that you're actually nervous about bringing a fake girl home to meet daddy?"

He turned on her. "Listen up, Valkyrie. Here's how this is going to work. We're going to get through this dinner without you saying a single word about your little human situation. Got it?"

"Hold up," Tamsin narrowed her eyes. "That wasn't the deal. You get me in to talk to your dad. That's it."

He shook his head. "No. You pretend to be in love with me for one night, and I will back you up when you do finally bring it up to him." He lowered his voice. "Please, Tamsin. Just one night, let my father think I'm not a total fuck-up."

"And if I go off script?"

"I'll smite you. I will LITERALLY smite you. I can do that, you know."

She rolled her eyes. "I am really going to regret this. Fine. Now, move."

He sighed in relief. "Thank you. Seriously." They started moving again.

"So, what's the deal with the girl? You're seriously going to try to take her baby away from her?"

Thor looked at the ground as they walked. "Look, Valkyrie, don't talk about things you don't understand." His voice was low and bitter.

She rolled her eyes. "So explain it to me."

He sighed. "Babies born in Valhalla are exceptionally rare. You have to really want it. But somehow I managed to get a human pregnant. A demigod, born in Valhalla? It's going to be an incredibly strong kid. My dad thinks it would be good for me to have some responsibility and he's looking forward to having another shot at raising a kid without fucking it up. I offered to let Ilyana come live in the palace so that she could still be around, but she refused." He shrugged. "She's in love with me. My father doesn't approve of me mingling with humans. I can't be with her anymore, but she wants a package deal. It means she won't have either of us."

"You always do what your daddy tells you to?" Tamsin asked sardonically.

He glared at her. "If your father was the most powerful God in existence, yeah, you might want to obey his wishes as much as possible."

"Look, you do realize this plan is flawed, right? Even if he buys us as a couple for tonight and actually likes me, which is already pushing it, the next time I see him I'm still going to ask for a favor. Reality will come crashing down pretty quickly."

"Whatever. One night of his approval is better than nothing."

Tamsin laughed, a short, bitter laugh. "That's pathetic, Thor."

"Yeah, I know," he mumbled. "Whatever."

They had reached the golden door. Thor took a deep breath before pushing it open. They stepped into a brightly lit room filled with bustling activity. Hundreds of Valkyrie filled with room, each carrying a serving tray or drinks. There was a long table running the length of the room, and a second one up on a platform, against the back wall. It was here that Odin sat, flanked on both sides by grumpy looking teenagers. Thor snuck a glance at Tamsin and smirked at the amazement on her face.

"Not what you were expecting?"

She shook her head slowly. "Not really."

"Come on." He took her hand and steered her through the crowd until they were standing in front of the high table. He dropped to one knee, and Tamsin bowed her head. "Father."

Odin laughed dryly. "Stand up, Thor, you look like an imbecile. Who is your friend?" He was staring at Tamsin, head cocked to the side, a small smile on his face. Tamsin felt a shiver run down her spine. This guy was a creep. An insanely powerful creep, but a creep nonetheless.

Thor got to his feet, looking abashed. He glanced over at Tamsin and she suppressed an eye roll, taking his hand.

"I'm Tamsin," she spoke confidently, fluttering her eyelashes in the most feminine way she could manage. "Thor's girlfriend."

Odin raised his eyebrows. "A Valkyrie, eh?" He nodded approvingly. "Finally. My son realizes the type of woman he should be with."

"I'm just honored that such an incredible man chose me." Tamsin's voice oozed sincerity. She was laying it on pretty thick. Thor shot her a look and she grimaced slightly. Ok, maybe too thick. She cleared her throat and stared at the ground awkwardly. Odin didn't seem to notice. He was still nodding, gazing at her appraisingly. Finally, he spoke again.

"Yes. Excellent. Come, sit with me and dine." He looked at the teenager to his right. "Tyr. Move down to the end. Make room for your brother and his lovely bride."

Tamsin's eyes shot open at the word bride, but before she could open her mouth, Thor elbowed her in the back.

"Yes,  _dear_ , come and sit." Thor led the stunned Valkyrie up to the table. He sat directly to Odin's right, with Tamsin next to him. Three Valkyrie immediately approached the table and placed steaming plates of food in front of them. To Tamsin's right, the newly displaced Tyr put his head down on the table, either drunk or taking advantage of the distance between he and his father to take a quick nap. Either way, Tamsin wished she could join him. She leaned over towards Thor.

_"Bride? Bride?"_ she hissed at him.

He shot her a look. " _Shut up, Valkyrie."_ He looked over at Odin. "This looks delicious, Father."

Odin ignored him. He leaned forward and looked past Thor to Tamsin. "Tell me, my dear. You are still Earth-bound, are you not?"

She nodded. "Yes. I just started my last life."

"And…" he stared at her. "Tamsin. I've heard of you."

She shifted uncomfortably. "Only good things, hopefully."

He shook his head slowly. "No. I'm afraid I know all about you."

Tamsin held his gaze. "Oh, yeah? I don't know; I'm pretty complex."

He chuckled. Thor looked slightly panicked. Tamsin glared at Odin. He continued to laugh, but finally spoke. "You are quite infamous, Tamsin. One of our most promising Valkyrie. I'm surprised our paths have never crossed before."

Tamsin shook her head. "I'm not. You don't really treat with the commoners very often."

"Oh, Tamsin. You are anything but common." He gestured to one of the serving Valkyrie, who quickly made her way to the high table. "I think we're ready for our next course." She nodded and cleared their plates, hurrying towards the kitchen. Another Valkyrie appeared a few seconds later with new plates filled with more delicious looking food. Tamsin hadn't touched her first course, but she realized she was actually starving. She grabbed her fork and began shoveling food into her mouth. Thor glared at her and kicked her underneath the table, but she just shrugged and ignored him. Odin smiled, clearly pleased at her enthusiasm for his food.

"So," he spoke again, "tell me. How did you two meet?"

Tamsin shot an angry glance at Thor. They probably should have rehearsed this if they wanted to have any chance of convincing Odin. He seemed calm, however, and his answer came quickly.

"We've known each other since Tamsin passed her final test. I went out with all of the Valkyrie to celebrate that night. Of course, Tamsin caught my eye." He smiled at her. "But she rebuffed all my advances. We reconnected on Earth. As you probably know, Tamsin was banned from Valhalla until just recently."

Odin nodded.

"She restored the offending soul to Valhalla, and as soon as she did, we wanted you two to meet."

Odin stared at his son, eyes narrowed. He seemed to be trying to make sense of what Thor had just said. He finally spoke. "Well, that was good of you, son. I'm simply tickled to meet such a lovely and impressive Valkyrie." He leaned past Thor and looked at Tamsin. "But you aren't in love with my son, are you, Tamsin?"

Tamsin cleared her throat and glanced at Thor. "You wanna help me out here, buddy?"

Thor shook his head. "Seriously? What's your problem?" The question was directed at Tamsin, but Odin answered.

"Thor, you have always been a disappointment. There's no way such a…remarkable woman would have you. And Tamsin…well, she's the most remarkable of them all."

Thor sighed and leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. "Fine. Whatever. Go ahead, Valkyrie. Ask him."

Before Tamsin could speak, Odin smiled. "Tell me, Tamsin. When's the last time you checked on your…friend?"

Tamsin sat up quickly. "Kenzi?"

"Mmmm." Odin shook his head. "No. The other one. The one still on Earth." His smile widened, but his eyes were cold. "She needs you. Now."

Tamsin stood up and looked at Thor. "Get me out of here."

Thor stared up at her incredulously. "Seriously?"

She grabbed his arm. "Now, asshat!" She pulled him upwards and he winced.

"Ow. Jeez. Ok, fine!" He glanced at his father. "Um…"

Odin directed the cold smile towards his son. "It was a nice attempt, son. But it was a little too frivolous for my taste. Why don't you just focus on making sure your human concubine doesn't cause any trouble?" He looked at Tamsin, who was fidgeting furiously. "Tamsin. Anytime you'd like to return to discuss…your situation…please feel free. The theatrics are not necessary."

"Yeah. Thanks." Tamsin responded curtly, before pulling Thor out of the room.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Bo?" Tamsin hurried through the apartment, calling her name. She didn't get a response, and she began to panic. She checked all the rooms. Nothing. The bed was rumpled, and Tamsin took a moment to let her mind consider how it had gotten that way. But she quickly pushed that thought out of her mind. She pulled out her phone and dialed.

It rang.

"Come on, come on," she muttered impatiently.

Finally, Dyson picked up.

"Tamsin?"

"Have you seen Bo?"

"What?"

"Dyson, have you seen Bo? Recently? In the last…" she looked at her watch. "Shit. Twelve hours?" She hadn't meant to leave her alone for so long.

"No, I…she doesn't want to see me. I stopped by yesterday morning but she didn't want me there. Why? Is everything ok?"

"I don't know." Tamsin started pacing around the room. "She hasn't left her room since…and now she's not here. I just don't know where she could have gone."

"Did you try the Dal?"

"On my way there now."

Tamsin hung up and rushed back out the door. She made her way quickly to the Dal. She breathed a small sigh of relief when she saw Bo's yellow car in the parking lot. She walked inside, scanning the room for the Succubus, but she was nowhere to be scene. She walked up to the bar where Trick was wiping down glasses.

"Trick. Have you seen Bo? Her car is outside."

He shook his head, staring at her strangely. "No. Lauren was driving it. She said she was just running a few errands for Bo. She's just in the bathroom."

Tamsin turned her head just as the doctor walked out of the bathroom. She rushed over to her.

"Where's Bo?"

Lauren looked at her and suppressed a smile. "Tamsin? What are you wearing?"

Tamsin looked down and groaned, realizing she was still in her gown. "Fuck. Look, don't change the subject. Where is she?"

"She's at my apartment. Why?"

Tamsin didn't let herself relax yet. "Why? Is she ok?"

Lauren furrowed her brow. "She's…she's fine. As fine as can be expected. I just wanted to get her out of the apartment. There are so many memories there…I just want to give her a break. What's going on?"

Tamsin narrowed her eyes. "I need to see her, ok? Let's go."

"No." Lauren looked a little angry. "Why do you need to see her? She's fine. She's resting."

"Look," Tamsin started, glaring at the doctor. "I just had the most powerful being in creation tell me that Bo needs me now. That she's in some kind of trouble. So you can either bring me to your apartment willingly or I will knock you out, steal your keys, and leave your body on some train tracks on my way over there." She cocked her eyebrow. "We going?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Tamsin shoved past Lauren into the apartment.

"Bo?"

The Succubus appeared at the top of the stairs, wrapped in a short white robe. "Tamsin? What are you doing here?"

Tamsin struggled to control her face. Of course they would have slept together. It wasn't like Bo was completely in love with some other dude just a few days ago. Bo needed strength and comfort anyway. Of course Lauren could give that to her. She shook her head, trying to shoo the thoughts away.

"Are you ok?" she asked, looking at Bo carefully. Bo wrapped the robe more tightly around her body before she answered.

"I guess. What do you mean?"

Lauren spoke from behind Tamsin. "See? No mysterious danger. Just my apartment. Ok?"

Tamsin wasn't willing to give up that easily. She glanced around the room. She walked into the kitchen and scanned the countertops and started opening cabinets.

"Tamsin. What are you doing?"

Bo walked down the stairs slowly and walked towards the Valkyrie. Tamsin ignored her and continued rifling through drawers. She moved into the living room and started shuffling through papers on Lauren's desk.

"Hey!" Lauren protested, striding quickly towards her. "Tamsin, those are private and you're messing up my desk!"

Tamsin glanced over at her and noticed something on the floor by Lauren's feet. She pushed the doctor gently and stooped to grab it. It was a small, shiny black stone. There were tiny lines etched into it. Tamsin looked at Lauren, who dropped her gaze.

"What did you do?" she asked roughly.

"Nothing, I…"

"What did you do?" she demanded.

Lauren finally glanced up at the Valkyrie. "Look, it didn't work anyway, ok? It's fine."

Tamsin rolled her eyes. "Yeah. It's fine." She looked at Bo. "We have to get out of here, ok?" She looked back at Lauren. "Did you do it here?"

Lauren nodded. "Yes, but I told you, it - "

"Yeah, I know," Tamsin interrupted. "It didn't work." She turned on her. "Do you have any idea what kind of forces you were messing with? You're a doctor, not a shaman. There's no way you could have done this safely."

"HEY!" Bo's voice caused them both to stop talking and turn towards her. She nodded. "Thank you. Now, can someone please tell me what the hell you two are talking about?"

Lauren and Tamsin glanced at each other, and the doctor stepped towards Bo. "Honey, I was just trying to help. I swear. And Tamsin's wrong, I did it right, and nothing bad happened." She shrugged. "Nothing good happened either, but she's overreacting."

"No, I'm not." Tamsin looked around the room, scanning from floor to ceiling. She noticed a dark stain on the ceiling in the far corner. She pointed to it. "There. What's that from?"

Lauren looked up at it. "I don't know. Water damage?"

Tamsin laughed. "You wish."

Suddenly, the dark stain seemed to distort. The three women blinked in unison, trying to focus on it, but it began to move. It seemed to slide down the wall and disappeared behind the couch. Tamsin backed away, grabbing Lauren and Bo and pulling them towards the door.

"Come on," she spoke urgently, "we've got to get out of here."

Before they could, Bo was knocked to the ground.

"Bo!" Lauren screamed, reaching for her.

"Don't!" Tamsin held her back.

Bo was writhing, fighting some kind of invisible foe. Tamsin and Lauren could see dark shadows swirling around her. Tamsin dropped to her knees beside her and let her eyes darken. The shadow slowed, hovering in a dense cloud just above Bo's chest. The Valkyrie and the shadow seemed to be in some kind of standoff that Lauren and Bo couldn't interpret. A piercing scream filled the room and Lauren and Bo both clapped their hands over their ears. Tamsin fell to the ground breathing heavily. She looked up at them.

"Go!"

Bo hesitated. "We're not leaving you!"

Tamsin pulled herself up. "I'm coming."

Bo and Lauren grabbed her and helped her up. Throwing their arms around her waist for support, they stumbled out of the apartment.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"So this is a Russian dessert?"

Kenzi nodded, her mouth full and her lips covered in powdered sugar.

Frigg took a careful bite of the warm pastry. She chewed, contemplating each bite. She swallowed and smiled at Kenzi. "It's delicious."

Kenzi swallowed. "Girl, you think I don't know that?"

Between the two of them, they managed to eat the whole batch of the sugary donuts. Kenzi leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes, a blissful smile on her face. Frigg smiled back at her. "You're right, I do feel a bit better."

"Excellent," Kenzi said, opening her eyes. "Ready to move on to phase two?"

Frigg shook her head, laughing. "What's phase two?"

Kenzi leaned forward, her voice low and conspiratorial. "Friggy, did you know there's a freaking mall here?"


	11. Chapter 11

The three women burst out the front door of Lauren's apartment and stumbled towards Tamsin's truck. She threw the passenger door open and Bo and Lauren clambered in. Tamsin made her way quickly to the driver's side and pulled herself into the cab, wincing as she lifted her arms. She started the engine and slammed on the gas, peeling out of the lot and onto the road. Once they were several hundred feet from the apartment, she allowed herself to breathe a sigh of relief. Bo was sitting in the middle between the Valkyrie and the doctor, and she turned to Tamsin.

"What the hell was that?" she asked, looking both pissed and concerned.

Tamsin shook her head. "Not yet. Let's get to the Dal. We're going to need some help."

Lauren kept her head down as she spoke. "Tamsin, I'm sorry. I swear, I didn't know."

"How's that sound coming out of your mouth, huh Doc? Something you didn't know?" Tamsin's voice had a bitter tone as she turned to look at the human. "I know you're the genius type, but there are forces here that you can't possibly understand."

Lauren met her gaze, staring back at her with blazing eyes. "Do not make me feel guilty for this. I am doing everything in my power to help Bo, while you're just roaming around Valhalla with Kenzi."

Tamsin shook her head, pressing her foot farther down, desperate to get out of this car. She screeched to a halt in the parking lot of the Dal and leaned back in her seat, breathing heavily. She was still feeling the effects of her battle with the shadow. She looked over at Bo and Lauren. "Go inside. I'll be there in a minute."

Bo placed a hand gently on her thigh. "Are you ok?"

Tamsin pushed her hand away. "I'm fine. Go inside."

Bo reluctantly followed Lauren out of the truck and into the Dal. Once they were out of sight, Tamsin curled into herself, clutching her stomach. It had been strong. She was stronger, ultimately, but she was paying for it. She took a deep breath, ignoring the shooting pain that ran through her body, and opened the cab down. Stepping out, she took a moment to lean against the truck and take a few more breaths. It normally wouldn't take this long. She was already getting weaker. She sighed, and headed into the Dal.

Lauren and Bo were sitting at the bar, talking quietly with Trick. As soon as Tamsin got to the bar, she reached over and grabbed a bottle of vodka. Trick looked like he was about to protest, but he saw her face and thought better of it. She unscrewed the top and took a long swig before looking at Lauren.

"Did you tell them?"

"I…" she looked down. "I don't really know what to tell. I thought…I thought it just didn't work."

Tamsin rolled her eyes. "Of course it didn't work."

"Can someone please fill me in?" Bo finally snapped. "What the hell was that thing? How did it get into Lauren's apartment?"

Tamsin sighed. "That thing is a scædwian. A shadow left over from powerful dark magic." She looked at Lauren. "I assume you attempted a Deyja Transposition?"

She nodded. "I followed the text completely. I procured some incredibly difficult to find ingredients. There's no reason it shouldn't have worked. And there was nothing in the text about a scædwian."

"Yeah, well, there wouldn't be, would there?" Tamsin replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Because it's kind of common knowledge that when you're dealing with forces that dark, there's going to be side effects."

Lauren looked down at the table, slightly chagrined, but Bo still looked confused. "Hang on. What's a Deyja transpo-thingy? And what do you mean, side effects?"

Before Tamsin could reply, Lauren spoke up. "Bo, I've been scouring the Archives looking for any references to human transportation to Valhalla or other parallel words. There isn't much, it's a pretty sketchy topic. But I found a few references to something called a Deyja Transposition, which seemed to describe a method of moving between worlds. It was incredibly complicated. But if it had worked, it would have essentially opened a portal into Valhalla. I don't know whether Kenzi would have been able to pass through, but I think we would have." She looked at Tamsin. "Is that right?"

Tamsin shrugged. "The last time anyone legitimately accomplished a Dejya Transposition, it was during the Middle Ages. And they weren't trying to get into Valhalla, they were trying to get into Hel, which is much easier." She smirked. "Security is significantly less tight there. No one _tries_ to get into Hel."

"But in theory?" Lauren persisted.

"Yeah, in theory, it can be used to create a portal between worlds. But it only goes one way. You're right, you guys would have been able to get through. But no one would have been able to get back. If you really wanted it to work, you'd need to do the spell simultaneously from both sides." She shook her head. "And if you were doing magic in Valhalla, Odin would sense it and shut it down immediately. It would never happen. All that would happen is that you'd release more scædwian into both worlds."

Bo had been listening quietly to the conversation. "So what is the scædwian?"

Tamsin paused before answering. "It's like...magical residue. You know Newton's 3rd Law?"

Bo cocked her eyebrow and shook her head. "I skipped high school physics. You know, what with the dead bodies and all."

Lauren spoke up. "For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction." Bo and Tamsin both looked at her and she blushed. "Sorry."

Tamsin smirked. "Right. So basically, opening a portal between worlds takes a lot of energy. Lauren was pushing pretty hard on the space/time barriers. They pushed back, and the result is a scædwian. They're essentially demonic energy, and they're very dangerous. Luckily, they're confined to the area where they were brought into being. In this case," she looked at Lauren, "your apartment." She fidgeted with her hands underneath that table. "You shouldn't go back there until we can get rid of you. You should stay somewhere else."

Bo immediately took her hand. "You can stay with me."

Lauren gave her a small smile and nodded. Tamsin felt her stomach clench. _Of course._ She cleared her throat and looked at Trick. "Any ideas? I'm sure you've got some experience with scædwian."

"Wait," Bo looked at Tamsin. "Did you fight it somehow? You stopped it from attacking me."

Tamsin shrugged. "Yeah. They're vulnerable to Valkyrie powers just like any other being. I messed with its head and showed it it's own demise. It fought back though, it's strong. Getting rid of it could be tricky. A Deyja Transposition, even a failed one, is serious shit, it created an incredibly powerful scædwian."

Trick interrupted the conversation. "Tamsin is right. This could be difficult. I'll have to consult the books."

Bo nodded. "Ok. I need to go back to the apartment and get changed." She gestured towards the short robe she was wearing. "Tamsin, can I take your truck?"

Tamsin glared at her for a moment before pulling out the keys. "You hurt my baby, I hurt you."

Bo smiled. "Got it." She stood up and Lauren followed suit.

"I'll come with you," she spoke quietly. Bo agreed, and they walked out of the Dal. Tamsin watched them go, a pained expression on her face. Trick spoke up from behind the bar.

"I have a few texts where we should start."

Tamsin spun around on the barstool and faced him. "You know, _Blood King_ _ **,**_ you could make all of this go away. Even Odin can't argue with your blood."

He sighed. "You think I don't know that? I'm just hoping Bo doesn't figure that out." He gave Tamsin a piercing look. "The price of using my blood is always higher than the gain, eventually. To make such a bold move, stealing a soul from Valhalla?" He shook his head. "I'm scared of what the price would be, Tamsin."

She nodded. "Yeah," she agreed softly. "I know." She stood up, grabbing the bottle of vodka. "C'mon. We've got books to read." She rolled her eyes as she walked behind the bar and into the back room.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Frigg and Kenzi pushed through the brush, making their way slowly along the tiny path.

"I'm, like, 99% sure that it was this way."

From behind her, Frigg, stumbled on a tree root and went flying forward. She knocked into Kenzi, pulling the small human down with her. They lay in a tangled mass of limbs for a moment before they figured out to how get free. Frigg rolled over and stood up, reaching a hand down for Kenzi. She stood and brushed off her clothes. Frigg smiled sheepishly.

"Kenzi, I do not think this is the way."

Kenzi looked around, wrinkling her nose. "Yeah, now that you mention it..." she looked at Frigg. "I have no freaking clue where we're at."

Frigg smiled and hunched over slightly, extracting her wings with a wince. Kenzi watched in awe. "Seriously, I don't think I'll ever get used to that."

Frigg grabbed Kenzi tightly around the waist. "Come on. Let's get a better view." Kenzi let out a delighted shriek as they shot straight up into the air. They broke through the canopy of trees and Kenzi twisted her head, taking in the sights. Frigg scanned the horizon and saw the same glimpse of glass and metal that Kenzi had spotted the day before. She steered them towards it. What would have taken them another hour of walking passed in about five minutes in the air. They landed gently in front of a giant, modern-looking glass building, framed with heavy steel pillars and support beams. Kenzi gazed at it in awe.

"Look at it Frigg. Look at it's magnificence."

Frigg looked at her from out of the corner of her eye. "Kenzi, it's a large, metallic structure that houses clothing and other unnecessary goods."

Kenzi turned and clapped her hand over Frigg's mouth. "Speak not such words of blasphemy, Friggy." She released her and turned back towards the mall. "Wanna go inside?"

Frigg smiled and rolled her eyes lightly. "Do I have a choice?"

"No," Kenzi replied, grabbing her hand and dragging her to the door. She pushed it open carefully and squealed in delight when it opened for her. She gazed around the interior of the building, eyes wide. "Holy shitballs this is amazing." She spotted a store across the way. "No. No freaking way do they have an ENTIRE STORE dedicated to Louboutin." She continued to drag Frigg to the shoe store and Frigg genuinely thought Kenzi would have a heart attack when she crossed the was panting slightly, eyes the size of golfballs.

"Frigg," she whispered reverently. "Do I have to pay? I don't have any money. But there's no one here to take it."

Frigg laughed. "There's no need for money, Kenzi. This is Valhalla." She suppressed a smirk as she saw a single tear trail down Kenzi's cheek. "Come on," she groaned lightly. "Let's get you some more shoes."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Tamsin looked up from the book she was reading when Bo and Lauren walked back in. Bo had put some actual clothes on, and was wearing her signature black leather. Tamsin forced herself to look back at the book. Bo flopped down next to her.

"Any luck yet?"

Tamsin just shook her head. She had been scouring Trick's oldest and dustiest volumes since the pair had left. Trick had muttered something about getting some book back from a troll and retreated to one of the dungeons. She was more familiar with scædwian than most. She had dealt with her fair share of demonic energy in her lifetimes. But the Valku-whammy she had put on him back at the apartment should have caused him to disperse. The fact that it was still conscious meant that it was stronger than any other she'd ever faced, or she was getting weaker. Or both. She shook her head, dispelling the thought. Getting rid of a scædwian through non-Valkyrie means required a pretty potent combination of physical strength and magic ability. Between she and Bo, they probably would be ok strength-wise. But all of these spells looked incredibly complicated, more complicated than anything Trick had ever attempted. Plus, the accounts were sketchy. There was no actual guarantee that any of these had actually worked. She slammed the book shut, enveloping her face in a cloud of dust. She coughed before standing up. "Doc, maybe you should just consider finding a new place to live."

Lauren looked at her. "Is that an option?"

Tamsin sighed. "No, not really. If we leave it alone, it will just get stronger. Eventually, given enough time, it could leave your apartment and take over the world. Or at least Toronto."

Lauren took the seat next to Bo on the couch that Tamsin had just vacated and picked up a volume that must have weighed at least 25lbs. She started flipping through it, skimming for anything related to the topic at hand. Bo leaned into her, putting her head on her shoulder and closing her eyes. Though she was up and about, the grief coming off her in waves was still palpable. Tamsin swallowed hard.

"Look, I'll be back, ok? I've been gone for a while, I just want to make sure Kenzi is ok."

Bo's eyes shot open at Kenzi's name and Tamsin immediately regretted speaking it. She saw Bo's brown eyes blur with tears, and made as if to move towards her. Lauren was there first, however, and quickly put the book down and placed her arm around Bo. Tamsin turned away.

"I'll be back in a bit. Good luck." She disappeared into the Dal, leaving the pair cuddled up on the couch. She quickly made her way back to Valhalla. She had left Frigg and Kenzi in Folkvangr, and she could only hope that Frigg had gotten them both back to Valhalla safely. She shook her head when she thought about Frigg. _Poor kid._ Every Valkyrie knew Frigg's story. There were plenty of Valkrie that chose to bond with a warrior. But there were only couple instances in which the bond had to be severed. The pain was unimaginable to any Valkyrie that hadn't experienced it, but that didn't stop them from trying to understand it. For the most part, the Valkyrie respected Frigg's loss. A few had no sympathy for the situation, blaming Frigg herself for her warrior's death. But Tamsin was one of the former. To have forged a bond that strong, only to have your heart ripped out for the rest of eternity...she shuddered to think of it. She hoped Kenzi was taking care of Frigg just as much as she hoped Frigg was taking care of Kenzi. There was no sign of them back at the house, save for a kitchen that looked like a bomb had exploded in it. Tamsin saw the remnants of ponchiki and decided that, at the very least, they had made it back from Folkvangr. She made her way into the living room and flopped down onto the couch. She almost moaned, it was so comfortable. She kicked her feet up and turned on the TV, giving herself a few minutes to relax, away from Bo and Lauren, away from the scædwian, away from the pain of losing Kenzi. She just needed a minute. She closed her eyes and, within seconds, she was asleep.

Kenzi and Frigg found her there a few hours later. They had rushed into the house loudly extolling the virtues of their new wardrobes, but quieted quickly when they noticed the Valkyrie sleeping peacefully on the couch.

"Should we wake her?" Frigg asked softly.

"Nah," Kenzi replied. "Lil T's been flying back and forth between Earth and Valhalla, comforting crying chicks left and right. She deserves a break." She found a soft blanket in one of the closets and carefully laid it over Tamsin. The Valkyrie shifted in her sleep, pulling the blanket tight around her neck and rolling over. Kenzi smiled down at her, then gestured for Frigg to follow her upstairs.

"You really care about her, huh?" Frigg asked once they were safely ensconced inside Kenzi's closet.

"Of course," Kenzi replied, carefully hanging her purchases in the already well-outfitted closet. "I mean, I practically raised her."

"What do you mean?" Frigg asked, raising her eyebrow.

Kenzi shrugged. "After her last rebirth. We found a tiny Tamsin cowering in the bushes where she had...died. I made sure the kid was ok, taught her about makeup and dancing. You know, the important stuff." She smiled. "Kid didn't inherit my sense of style though."

"Hmmm," Frigg responded, considering this. "That's very rare, you know."

"Huh?"

"Normally, the time following your rebirth is incredibly difficult. You are alone, helpless, and without any memory of your previous lives. It's terrifying. Your survival skills remained imbedded in your subconscious, so you live. But until you get your memories back...it's a very difficult time. The fact that Tamsin was...raised. By a family, albeit a unique one, and one that cared about her. It explains a lot."

"What do you mean? What does it explain?"

Frigg shook her head. "It's not my place to discuss Tamsin. But since her last rebirth, it's been said that she's different." Frigg paused. "She's not the cold-blooded killer who rose to Valkyrie fame. She has softened."

Kenzi looked a little offended. "Well, yeah, duh. I didn't raise no killer. Is that such a bad thing?"

Frigg gazed at Kenzi. "Not for a human. But for a Valkyrie, it may pose challenges. Our service is dependant on our ability to objectively serve Odin, no matter what he asks of us. This does not lend itself to emotions such as guilt."

"What about you?" Kenzi asked. "You seem so...nice."

Frigg smiled. "Well, thank you. But you have to remember Kenzi that I have the benefit of no longer being Earth-bound. I am afforded the same rights as any other warrior in Valhalla now. I completed my service. I no longer have to close myself off. Besides," she shrugged. "with Corinna...I had already softened. The bond is looked at as a form of weakness for Valkyrie. It's treasured and respected, but it is widely acknowledged that once you would sacrifice yourself for someone else, you are no longer much use to Odin's will."

Kenzi cocked her head. "Tamsin's sacrificed herself for Bo, like, five times already."

"What?"

"Well, technically she only died the one time. But she probably would have died after she got shot pushing Bo out of the way. Plus she stopped Bo from getting taken by Krampus and it's only because Bo got her back that she wasn't turned into creepy Valky-candy." She shrugged. "There's more. Tamsin has done more selfless things for Bo than I can even remember."

Frigg just stared at her. "That is extremely inconsistent with the Tamsin of Valkyrie lore."

Kenzi rolled her eyes. "Well, what can I say? She's a weird one.


	12. Chapter 12

Tamsin woke with a start. She sat up quickly and her legs tangled in the blanket Kenzi had draped over her. She rolled off the couch and hit the floor with a thud. She heard a low laugh and swiveled her head in the darkness. Frigg was sitting in a large leather armchair on other side of the room. She had a light on next to her, and it looked like she had been reading quietly.

 

“Hi there,” she greeted Tamsin softly, likely trying to help the older Valkyrie orient herself. Tamsin shook her head and took a deep breath.

 

“Hey.” She looked around the room. “Where’s Kenzi?”

 

“Upstairs sleeping. You’ve been asleep for a while.”

 

Tamsin fell back against the couch and sighed. “I guess I hadn’t slept in a while.”

 

“Kenzi said that as far as she could tell, you hadn’t slept since she died,” Frigg responded. “You need to make sure you’re taking care of yourself.”

 

Tamsin waved off her concerns. “I’m fine.” She stood up. “But I should probably get back to Earth. Shit’s going to Hel in a handbasket down there.”

 

Frigg looked at her curiously. “How’s your friend? Bo?”

 

“Under the careful watch of a diligent doctor,” Tamsin muttered.

 

Frigg cocked her head. “Tamsin...it is not my place. But are you...is Bo your warrior?”

 

Tamsin considered her for a moment, deciding how she wanted to answer. She finally settled for the truth. she flopped back down on the couch and exhaled deeply. “Ah, fuck if I know. Shouldn’t I know? Isn’t that the point?”

 

Frigg shrugged. “I knew. But the lore on the subject is incredibly hazy. So much still is not known. Kenzi says you have sacrificed yourself for the Succubus. You know that is not normal behavior?”

  
Tamsin sighed. “Yeah, I know. But they’ve...I’m going soft, Frigg. I’m pretty sure I’d sacrifice myself for Kenzi too.”

 

Frigg kept her gaze even. “They’re your family.”

 

Tamsin hesitated for a moment before nodding. “Yeah. They are.”

 

Frigg nodded too. “The situation may be unprecedented. A Valkyrie, feeling the love of a family after a rebirth. I’ll look into it.”

 

Tamsin stood up again. “I really should go. You guys will be ok here?”

  
“We’ll be fine,” Frigg replied. “But, Tamsin...” She seemed unwilling to continue her sentence.

 

“What?” Tamsin asked, a trace of impatience showing.

 

“How did you get Kenzi into Folkvangr?”

 

Tamsin stared at her for a moment. She swallowed hard and dropped her gaze. “It’s not important.”

 

“What did you do?” Frigg’s voice was low and urgent.

 

Tamsin refused to meet her eyes. “It’s just a couple thousand years. It’s no big. I’ll still live longer than anyone else.”

 

Frigg sighed. “I was afraid of that. You gave her two thousand years of your life?”

 

Tamsin shrugged. “It’s fine. Kenzi needed to see Hale. Two thousand years is nothing.”

  
“But Tamsin, you’re on your last life! You shouldn’t be shortening it!”

Tamsin dropped her face into her hands. “I know.” She finally looked back up at Frigg, meeting her stare. “Apparently, I really would do anything for these two.” Suddenly, an idea struck her. “Shit.” She stood up. “Ok, I really do have to go.” She headed towards the door. “Frigg, take care of Kenzi. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

 

”Tamsin!” Frigg called as she opened the door. The blonde looked back at her. “Please. Be careful.”

 

Tamsin considered her carefully for a moment before giving her a quick nod. She ran out the door and Frigg heard the telltale sounds of wings being extracted and a body launched into the air. She sighed and leaned back in her chair. She had never heard of a Valkyrie developing such strong feelings for anyone other than their warrior. The idea of family is seldom discussed among Valkyrie. Like many of her kind, Frigg had never known her birth family. She had been brought to Valhalla as an infant when it was clear that she was of ancient birth. The few Valkyrie who remain in contact with their birth families usually struggle more with adapting to the lifestyle. Early on in their training, they are taught that above all else, Odin’s will is to be done. Valkyrie are never to be self-serving. Everything they do, they do in Odin’s, or if claimed otherwise, Freyja’s name. This can be difficult to adapt to when a Valkyrie also understands familial ties.

 

Frigg recalled her final test: the final stage of Valkyrie training before they are assigned to Odin and Freyja and begin their work in earnest. The final test is brutal; a dangerous combination of strenuous physical and mental tasks. The scenarios they run during their final year of training do not prepare them for this final test. It is rarely discussed, only in hushed words long afterwards, when the piercing shock has dulled into just dusty remnants of memory. The final test has two possible outcomes: pass or die. If the Valkyrie is unable or unwilling to complete a task, she dies and is reborn, to begin her training anew.

 

By the time a Valkyrie is given this final test, she has likely cut all emotional ties with friends or family. For Frigg, this was fairly straightforward. She had no family, and she had distanced herself from her classmates. Some of the younger girls bonded, but by the time you were approaching completion, you understood that friends are a weakness. The ones who fail their final test are the ones who refuse to keep this emotional distance. She distinctly remembered once such girl. Against all of the better judgement of her classmates and teachers, she had remained in contact with her mother. They were not particularly close, but she retained a fondness for the woman. She had gone directly before Frigg to the test. Frigg remembered sitting outside the facility on one of the available benches. She was running through her exercises in her head; clearing her mind, keeping her breathing calm and her heart rate low. She was not particularly nervous. So when the piercing scream shattered the stillness around her, it was a rude awakening.

 

Frigg did not see the girl again. By the time she was reborn and training again, Frigg had begun taking assignments and was back and forth to Earth. She didn’t seek her out. News of her failure had spread, but discussions over what could have happened were minimal. Only Frigg could have shed any light on what had gone on inside of the testing facility. But she didn’t care to share. She would remember the girl’s screams for the rest of eternity.

 

_“NO! PLEASE NO! NOT MY MOTHER! PLEASE! NOOOOOO!”_

 

Frigg knew then that any attachment could be used against you. Any emotion that tied you to another human being was dangerous. That Tamsin was willing to sacrifice herself for someone else would have been unthinkable to her, had she not known Corinna. But Tamsin was not bonded to Bo. And she admitted to feeling just as strongly about Kenzi. Tamsin had lived among them for far too long. She had allowed herself to become attached. The explanation could be that simple.

 

Or it could be something else. Frigg resolved to go to the archives that day and begin her research. She could bring Kenzi; the girl should study up on her Valkyrie lore anyway. She closed her eyes, allowed herself to rest while she waited for Kenzi to wake.

 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 

Tamsin stood outside the door of Bo’s apartment, listening carefully. She really did not want to walk in on Bo and Lauren succubanging. It was the middle of the night, they were probably asleep. She could wait until morning. But the quicker they moved on this idea, the better. She knocked once and pushed open the door.

 

“Bo? Lauren?” she called as she walked into the living room. She stood by the couch and listened to the murmurs of the women waking up. Heard gentle footsteps from above her and then moving down the stairs. Bo appeared at the foot of staircase, wrapping a robe around herself.

 

“Tamsin? Is everything ok? Is Kenzi...?” Just saying the name looked painful for the brunette.

 

Tamsin shook her head. “She’s...she’s fine. Yeah. I just...I had an idea.” She forced herself to maintain eye contact and not let her gaze be drawn to Bo’s bare legs. “I think Lauren may have been on to something, actually.”

 

At the sound of her name, Lauren appeared behind Bo, her hair mussed and eyes sleepy. She smirked gently at Tamsin. “Wanna say that again?”

 

Tamsin rolled her eyes lightly. She turned away from the picturesque scene of domesticity in front of her and walked into the kitchen, grabbing a beer from the fridge. “Even if the Dejya Transposition had worked, it wouldn’t have done what you wanted. It would have just gotten you all stuck in Valhalla.” She took a swig and turned back to Bo and Lauren. “But if we can harness the power of the scædwian, we might be able to blow a hole between the worlds.” She shrugged. “The scædwian must be really powerful if I didn’t manage to disperse it. Maybe not powerful enough to get us to Valhalla, but, like I told you earlier, Hel has much less security.”

 

Bo looked confused. “What would be the point of getting us into Hel?”

 

Tamsin grinned. “Hel is just step one. If we can bust our way into Hel, I think I have a plan.”

 

Lauren stepped forward, snaking a hand around Bo’s waist. “Is it dangerous?”

 

Tamsin’s smile widened. “Abso-fucking-lutely.”

 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 

Kenzi woke up to soft daylight trickling in through the sheer curtains on her windows. She smiled and stretched. Another beautiful day in paradise. She hopped out of bed and made her way over to the closet. It was packed full. Between the clothes that had come with the house and her purchases yesterday, she was in heaven. She chose an outfit, laying it carefully on the bed before getting into the shower. This bathroom, like the rest of paradise, was absolutely perfect. She sighed as the hot water flowed over her body. When she was squeaky clean, she stepped out, wrapping the luxurious robe around her. She walked through her bedroom over to the balcony. She stepped outside, breathing in the fresh air. She gazed around at the scenery before her. She could see the falls in the distance, surrounded by the green of trees. Off to her left, she could just make out the glint of the Great Hall. She had to admit, this was quite a step up from the crack shack. If Bo was here, it would be perfect.

 

She made her way back to her bed and sat down, thinking. She knew she had done the right thing, saving the world and all that. And she had done it because she really was confident that if anyone could get her back to Earth, it was Bo. But should she go back to Earth? She hadn’t stopped to let herself think about this, and she felt guilt creeping over her body for even considering it. But this place was a literal paradise. She was...happy. She missed Bo like crazy, and she knew that she always would. But Bo would be here eventually, and the calming effects of Valhalla meant that she didn’t feel the ache the way she would on Earth.

 

A sharp pang shot through her body as she realized what that meant. She might not be feeling the pain, but her Bo-Bo sure as hell was. Based on Tamsin’s very cryptic reports, she knew that Bo was hurting. And as confident as she was that her Succubus would be ok no matter what, she knew that Bo would never rest until she had Kenzi back. The human sighed. She really had put Bo into a horrible position. Like usual, she hadn’t completely though this through. She shook her head. She’d have to talk to Tammy about this. She got dressed quickly and did her hair and makeup before making her way downstairs. She hit the bottom of the staircase and immediately smelled bacon and coffee.

 

“Frigg I LOVE you,” she intoned, walking into the kitchen and seeing the Valkyrie at the stove. She turned and smiled.

 

“Good morning, Kenzi. How did you sleep?”

 

“Awesome-sauce, as usual. Where’s Lil T?”

 

Frigg’s smile wavered for just a moment. “She...went back to Earth. It seemed as though she was in a hurry.”

 

Kenzi nodded, feeling another small pang shoot through her. Tamsin was likely rushing back to take care of Bo. She was disappointed she wouldn’t get to talk to the Valkyrie yet. She swallowed, pushing back her disappointment. “Ok. What’s on the agenda for today?”

 

Frigg handed her a plate of food, and Kenzi almost started drooling. They sat down at the table and Keniz immediately began stuffing her face. Frigg laughed before answering. “I need to go to the archives to look a few things up. I thought you could come, begin reading up on the Valkyrie race and, specifically, Ragnarök.”

 

Kenzi winced. “Gotta say, Friggy, sounds a little boring.”

 

Frigg laughed again. “I understand. But I think it’s important. And you might find it more interesting than you think.”

 

Kenzi sighed. “Fine. We’ll give it a shot.” She continued eating, but hesitated when she noticed Frigg wasn’t eating. “You not hungry?”

 

Frigg shook her head. “We need to eat significantly less than mortals. And we ate a lot of doughnuts yesterday.”

 

“Huh,” Kenzi replied “That’s weird. I’ve seen Tammy demolish an entire pizza single-handedly.”

 

Frigg shrugged. “We can eat, of course. But we don’t need much to sustain ourselves.” Inside, however, she filed this away. Any additional information on Tamsin could be helpful as she searched through the archives for answers.

 

Kenzi finished her meal, wiping her mouth and standing up. “Alright. Let’s do this.”

 

The pair made their way outside. Frigg offered to fly her, but Kenzi had a different idea.

 

“Race you!” She took off through the woods, heading in the direction of the Great Hall. She felt like she a gazelle. She felt strong. She laughed out loud. She could really get used to this feeling. The air whipped around her head, rushing in her ears. She heard Frigg behind her and together they dodged through brush and trees. Frigg veered off to the right and Kenzi followed. Her muscles were churning, straining, but it felt incredible. She had never felt like this on Earth.

 

She saw the branch at eye level just a second too late. She threw herself to the right, trying to miss it, but she just succeeded in hitting the branch and falling to the ground.

 

“Ooof,” she said, as she hit the ground hard. She tumbled head over foot down a gentle incline, finally coming to rest at the foot of a tree. Dazed, she shook her head. Frigg swam into focus above her, her face concerned.

 

“Are you ok?”

 

Kenzi laughed. “Guess some things don’t change, huh Friggy?”

 

“What?”

 

She shook her head, still laughing. “Nothing.” She reached up and touched her forehead gently; it was wet. She looked at her hand and saw blood. “Woah,” she said, sobering a bit. “Is my face ok? I do not do scars. Some people can pull that off but I am not one of them.”

 

Frigg knelt beside her and wiped the cut gently. She shook her head. “You’ll be ok. It will heal quickly, and it will not leave a scar. Does it hurt?”

 

Kenzi shook her head. “No, it really doesn’t.” She paused and looked at Frigg in wonder. “That is freaking amazeballs!”

 

Frigg laughed. “Yes, it is amazeballs.” She stood up and held a hand out. Kenzi grabbed it and hauled herself up. She looked at Frigg with a gleam in her eye.

 

“Last one there is buying dinner tonight!” she spoke as she began to run again.

  
Frigg rolled her eyes before following suit. “Kenzi!” she called, “There’s no money here!”

  
From up ahead, Kenzi just laughed.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for sticking with me! Sorry for my absence! I've got another chapter coming soon! Let me know what you think =]


	13. Chapter 13

"So," Tamsin finished. "That's the basic idea."

Lauren and Bo just stared at her incredulously. Lauren found her voice first.

"Tamsin, I can't even begin to enumerate all of the things that could go wrong with this plan."

Tamsin shrugged. "Then don't. Let's just give it a shot."

"Um," Bo protested lightly, "I think Lauren's point is that there are potentially dozens of ways we could die trying this."

Tamsin stared at her. "Bo. If you die, you'll go to Valhalla and be with Kenzi. And if you don't, we'll get her back." She shrugged. "Kind of seems like a win-win to me."

"Hey," Lauren cut in sharply. "Not for me. If I die, I'm just dead. If Bo dies…" she trailed off. She swallowed hard and glared at Tamsin. "That's not an option."

Tamsin rolled her eyes. "Actually, Doc, you die during this process, you'll go to Valhalla too. It's not just for Fae."

"That's not a risk I'm willing to take, Tamsin!"

Bo's voice was quiet when she spoke. "Ok. Let's do it." Two pairs of eyes swiveled to meet hers. She was standing quietly, staring at the ground. She continued. "Tamsin is right. This is a good plan."

Lauren stepped towards her and took her hand. "Bo," she spoke quietly but urgently, "you can't just give up on life just because you lost Kenzi. Please. For me. Please don't do this."

Bo shook her head. "No, Lauren. I don't have a choice." Her eyes were filling with tears. "We have to try."

Tamsin stepped forward. Her heart was aching for Bo. But they didn't have a ton of time. "Alright then," she said efficiently. "Let's do this."

Lauren turned to face Tamsin sadly. She sighed. "What do you need me to do?"

Tamsin handed her a list. "I need you to track this down. Some of it is going to be easy to find. Other stuff, you'll probably need to barter with The Morrigan. Trick can probably help. Don't go to your apartment without me. That scædwian is just getting stronger and stronger."

Lauren nodded. Bo spoke from next to her. "What about me?"

Tamsin looked at her. "If this works, we are going to need to be prepared to fight. Weapons. I'd say you should try to get into the Light Archives. See what kind of stuff they've been hiding down there. No one is going to stop us from using illegal Fae weapons down there."

Bo nodded. "I'll try. What are you going to do?"

Tamsin sighed. "Going to try to call in another favor." At the rate she was going, she was going to be way out of favors way too soon. She glanced at the two women. "You guys clear?" They both nodded. "Alright. I'll meet you both at the Dal tonight." She headed to the window and started to climb out.

"Tamsin?" Bo asked curiously. "What are you doing?"

Tamsin looked at her over her shoulder and smirked. "No time to drive." With a wrenching sound, she extracted her wings and launched herself into the air. Bo and Lauren both watched, impressed.

Bo turned to Lauren. "Are we ok?"

Lauren refused to meet her eyes. "I know you're hurting, Bo. But I can't believe you're willing to throw away your life like this."

"For Kenzi, Lauren. For Kenzi, I would do anything."

Lauren nodded, a tear rolling down her cheek. "I know," she responded quietly. She shook her head and wiped away the tear. She headed towards the door. "I'll see you at the Dal later."

The door shut behind her, and Bo collapsed onto the couch, her face in her hands. Sobs wracked her body as she thought of Lauren's face. She knew that it was killing her that Bo was at the point where she would rather die than live without Kenzi. But she couldn't deny that Tamsin was right. Either she would join Kenzi in Valhalla, or she would get her back. Those were her only two options. Bo knew that Lauren wished she could be enough for her. And Bo loved her, she truly did. But Kenzi was her heart. As a doctor, Lauren should understand that Bo couldn't live without her heart, no matter how much her other organs worked overtime.

She took a deep, shuddering breath. She needed to focus. If Tamsin's plan was going to work, she had to keep it together. She stood up, collected herself, and headed to the Dal. She approached the bar cautiously. She hadn't really been back here much since…

She shook her head. She couldn't think about that now. She saw Trick appear from behind the bar and gave him a tight-lipped smile.

"Bo," he said, his eyes wide. "I…I didn't expect to see you."

She nodded. "I'm here on business, not pleasure."

"Oh," he said, composing himself quickly. "Well, what can I help you with?"

"Who's in charge of the Light Archives, currently?"

Trick considered this for a moment. "Well. Me, I guess. After Hale…" he paused, glancing at Bo's face and taking note of the pain that flashed across it. He swallowed and continued. "I'm the next best thing to acting Ash, I suppose. Why? What do you need?"

"Weapons," Bo answered, her face impassive.

He stared at her carefully. "Should I ask why?"

Bo sighed. "We're getting her back, Trick. But to do it, we'll need to fight. Tamsin has a plan."

Trick furrowed his brow. "Well, there are a lot of weapons in the Archives. But they're not exactly legal."

Bo gave him a small smirk. "And who exactly is going to stop me?"

He nodded. "It's true. All Fae governing bodies are in disarray after the death of the Una Mens." He looked at her. "But Bo, those weapons are dangerous."

"I don't care, Trick. If they can help us, I will take the risk. Besides," she continued, dropping her gaze, "we're not exactly going to be fighting here."

"What do you mean?"

Bo took a deep breath and lifted her eyes to his. "We're going to battle in out in Hel."

Trick raised his eyebrows. "Bo, what do you mean?"

"I mean that if anyone is going to have a problem with the way we're fighting, they're going to be gods. So, I say we take any advantage we can get."

"And how exactly are you planning on getting to Hel? It's not like it's the corner shop down the street. It's an alternate dimension."

Bo shrugged. "Tamsin's plan sounds a little crazy. But she thinks we can use the increasing power of the scædwian to, I don't know, puncture a hole between the dimensions?"

He furrowed his brow. "That sounds incredibly dangerous. And possibly ineffective. How does that help you get to Valhalla?"

"Tamsin says that travel between Hel, Valhalla, and Folkvangr is significantly easier, since they are related. Still not technically possible for live humans, but she thinks she might be able to call in some favors and see what happens."

"And why don't you just go straight to Valhalla?"

"Tamsin says even the strongest scædwian isn't strong enough to bust into Valhalla. But Hel is easier."

He shook his head. "I really don't like the sound of this, Bo."

She glared at him. "I don't care, Trick. Now, are you going to help me get into the Archives, or am I going to have to go through you?"

"Bo," he pleaded gently, "I know how important Kenzi is to you. But is this really worth it?"

"No," Bo responded, her voice quivering with emotion. "Clearly none of you know how important Kenzi was to me. That prophecy could only come true because Kenzi is my _heart_. The only thing that keeps blood pumping through my body. And she's gone. How do any of you expect me to just _deal_ with that?"

"Calm down, Bo," Trick started. "I didn't mean – "

"Just…just stop, Trick. Are you going to help me?"

He hung his head and nodded. "Sure, Bo. Of course I am."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Lauren looked down at the paper in her hand. Tamsin had been right; a lot of the stuff had been easy to acquire. A few household chemicals, a few basic medical supplies. But she had officially entered weird, uncharted territory. Powdered goatroot? What was goatroot? She knew goats, and she knew roots. But a quick online search gave zero legitimate results. Demented guchar? What did that even mean? And essence of probilian. Lauren had checked her essence collection, but if probilian was a type of Fae, she had never heard of it before. She sighed and knocked on the door in front of her. She heard clacking footsteps approaching and the door swung open.

The Morrigan stared at her coldly. "What the hell do you want?"

Lauren looked at her carefully. "How are you feeling?"

"Human!" she snarled, in a way that was somehow both an answer and an accusation.

Lauren gave her a small smile. "Happy to hear it." The Morrigan stared at her in shock as Lauren pushed past her and into the apartment.

"What do you think you're doing? Did I say you could come in?"

Lauren turned around and her smile widened. "Can you stop me?"

Evony set her jaw and clenched her teeth. Though she would never say it out loud, the answer was clearly no. Lauren nodded.

"As I thought. I need some help with a few things."

Evony glared at her. "And why the hell would I help you?"

Lauren cocked her head. "The goodness of your heart?"

She narrowed her eyes. "Try again."

Lauren sighed. "Evony, it's important. Besides, if you want to have any chance of becoming Fae again, you should probably stay on my good side."

The Morrigan froze. "You can reverse it?"

The doctor shrugged. "I can do anything."

"Bit of a big head there, don't you think darling?"

"I took the leader of the Dark Fae and rendered her human and useless," Lauren responding, laughing lightly. "I think I've earned that right."

"What do you want?"

Lauren smiled. "That's more like it." She handed over the list in her hand. "I need these. Can I get into the Archives to look for them?"

Evony glared at her, then stared down at the list. "We may have some of this." She looked up at Lauren. "Why do you need this? This is…" she looked down at the list again, then brought her eyes to Lauren's face and stared at her intently. "Are you trying to attempt some kind of interdimensional rift?"

Lauren paused. "Why do you ask?"

"Goatroot for a focusing agent, guchar for it's shielding properties, and probilian essence? That directs the blast." She stared at Lauren. "Are you trying to break into Hel?"

Lauren was impressed. "That is the general plan, yes."

Evony shook her head in disbelief. "You're insane. And an idiot. Even if breaking into Hel was somehow a helpful or productive thought, you don't have an energy source."

"As far as I understand it, that's what the scædwian is for."

"Where the hell did you get a scædwian?" Evony asked sharply.

Lauren looked at the ground. "An accident."

"Ha," Evony scoffed. "So now you're going to do what is potentially the most dangerous thing you could do and attempt to use that scædwian?"

"Look, can you get me the ingredients?"

Evony stared at her. "Whatever you're doing, you're going to need help."

"I have help. And you couldn't help me anyway."

"I happen to be an expert in scædwian dynamics. That didn't change just because you…"

"Fine," Lauren snapped. "You can help. Now, start by getting me the ingredients."

Evony smiled and walked out the door, the list tight in her hand.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Tamsin sighed. She had really hoped to never return to this door.

The door in question was old. The wood it was made of told stories of centuries gone by, Tamsin could see it in the rings set deep into the deep brown. It had been an old tree when it was cut down, and the wood had only aged since then. She sighed again and lifted her hand to knock. Before she could make contact, however, it swung open.

She took an involuntary step backwards as the tiny, wizened old woman on the doorstep moved towards her, peering into her face.

"Tamsin? Is that you?"

She sighed once more. "Hey. Carla. Yeah, it's me."

The woman scowled. "Don't call me Carla."

"The full name is kind of a mouthful."

She glared at Tamsin. "My name is Donta Ascala Ricarla. I am a demigod, a Wood Nymph, a telepath, and guardian of the underworld." She reached up and grabbed a handful of Tamsin's hair. "You will address me with respect!"

"Oww!" Tamsin snapped, scowling. "Let go of me, old woman."

"Old!" she mocked. "You used to babysit me."

"Well," Tamsin responded, "I've aged better."

"Valkyrie scum," she grumbled.

"Respect your elders!"

"You cannot have it both ways, Valkyrie. Either I am old and deserving of respect, or you admit you are older than me."

"Fine. I am, technically older than you. And I'm going to call you Carla. Though," she continued begrudgingly, "you are deserving of respect for other reasons."

"What do you want, Tamsin?" Carla turned and slowly made her way back into the darkness behind her. Tamsin followed carefully.

"I need a favor."

"Ha!" she scoffed.

"Yeah, yeah." She took a deep breath. "I need to…well, I don't know how to say this nicely. I need to kidnap Hel."

Carla cocked her eyebrow. "Tamsin, as Hel's guardian, I am probably not the best person to collaborate with if you're trying to threaten her safety."

"It's for a good cause."

"What could you possibly offer me that would make me abandon my _raison d'être?"_

Tamsin paused, fingering the object in her pocket for another moment before pulling it out and presenting it to the old woman. "This."

Carla's jaw dropped. "Is that what I think it is?"

"Yes," Tamsin responded with a sigh.

A slow smile crept across the wrinkly face in front of her. "You've got yourself a deal.

* * *


	14. Chapter 14

Tamsin followed Carla inside. The older woman hobbled in front of Tamsin, and she sighed impatiently.

“Kind of in a rush here, Carla.”

The woman did not dignify this with a response, only throwing a scathing glance over her shoulder. They reached the kitchen and the old woman moved towards the stove.

“Cup of tea?”

“Do you have coffee?”

The look Tamsin got in response clearly indicated that it was tea or nothing.

She rolled her eyes. “Nah, I’m good.”

Carla busied herself preparing tea, not speaking again until she was settled across the table from Tamsin with a steaming cup in front of her.

“Now,” she said. “Let me see it.”

Tamsin handed it to her reluctantly. It was a gold pendant, inlaid with rubies and other precious gemstones. She ran her hand over it, then down the side, feeling for the crack. She pressed gently when she found it, and it sprung open. Soft light streamed out, illuminating her face gently. She stared at it reverently as she spoke.

“You have no right to give this to me.”

“Yeah,” Tamsin agreed, shrugging. “But here we are.”

The old woman’s face was changing as she stared into the light. Cracks on her face were disappearing, and her hair was losing its grey. Her eyes were dancing. She glanced up at Tamsin. “How do I look?”

“You know it’s not permanent, right? It’s just a temporary side effect.”

Carla brushed this off. “It will be an enjoyable side effect.”

Tamsin sighed. “She’ll kill me, you know. If you use it for anything that she notices, she’ll find me and she’ll kill me.”

“Whatever you’re doing with Hel, it’s worth this?”

For the first time, Tamsin hesitated. “Yeah. I think so.”

Carla nodded. “Okay. What do you need from me?”

“We’ve got our own way into Hel. I just need you to make sure that the guards are occupied when we arrive. Just a short window. We’re coming prepared for a fight, but we can’t take on the entire army of the Underworld by ourselves.”

She nodded again. “I can do that.” Her face sobered. “Tamsin, you will not hurt her.”

“No,” Tamsin agreed. “I won’t. It’s just your basic kidnapping and ransom situation. No one needs to get hurt. The easier you make the kidnapping part, the better.”

“Can I ask why?”

“You can ask. I won’t answer though.”

Carla snorted. “You’re an ass, Tamsin.”

“I know.”

They sat quietly for a moment. Carla drank her tea and absentmindedly stroked the pendant. Finally, Tamsin stood up.

“Tomorrow. Midnight. Make sure she’s alone. Okay?”

The old woman stared at her, hard. “Sure, Tamsin.”

Tamsin walked out of the house, taking a deep breath as she stepped outside. She had just traded Freyja’s immortality pendant to the guardian of Hel. She was so dead.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Lauren stared at Evony’s back as she rummaged through dusty drawers.

“You should really work on the organizational system down here.”

Evony turned to look at Lauren and rolled her eyes. “Sure. I’ll get right on that.” She turned back to the drawer and a moment later lifted her hands triumphantly. “I knew it was in here!”

She faced Lauren, her arms outstretched. Lauren looked down at the pale lump she was holding. “So that’s goatroot, huh?”

Evony shrugged. “I know it doesn’t look like much. But it’s a powerful focusing agent.”

Lauren sighed. “Okay.” She carefully took the lump from Evony, wrapping it in clean cloth and placing it in a bag. “What’s next?”

Evony looked down at the list. “Guchar. Hmm.” She scanned the shelves. “I’m not sure about this one. It’s highly volatile, which means we may have stored in a vault.” She gestured down a dank hallway. “Come on, this way.

  
Lauren followed her, squinting in the dark. It crossed her mind briefly that this may be a trap. Whatever Evony might have waiting for them down here might want to cause her harm. But she shrugged this off. She knew she could take Evony in a fight, if she had to. Anything else, well, she’d just wing it.

She had never been this far into the Archives before, and that was saying something. But this was beyond what she could have imagined. She didn’t even know how far underground they were, or how deep into the caverns they had walked. But it was dark and damp and cold down here, and she was looking forward to getting back to the surface. She picked up the pace a bit, catching up to Evony just as she stopped in front of a large, gilded door.

Evony was squinting at the runes decorating the stone wall. She was muttering to herself and nodding. Lauren quirked her eyebrow.

“Well?” she asked.

“Patience!” Evony snapped. “I don’t have this shit memorized.” She finally took a step back and nodded confidently. “Yeah. The guchar will be in here.” She took a step to her left and pushed Lauren in front of her. “After you, Doctor.”

Lauren at her, a hint of fear on her face. “Why? What’s…what’s in there?”

Evony reached across her body for the doorknob, turning her head and smiling at Lauren as she pulled open the door. It opened with a deep groan, a rush of stale air hitting Lauren’s face. “Guchar,” she answered slowly, as if talking to a child.

Lauren glared at her and strode into the vault much more confidently than she felt. She was relieved to hear Evony’s footsteps behind her and not the slamming of the door behind her. She blinked, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. She turned her head right and left, taking stock of the room. There seemed to be dusty shelves lining one wall. The others were bare, just damp stone. She took a step towards the shelves but Evony grabbed her hand.

“Wait,” she hissed.

Lauren turned to look at her face. It was hard to read in the dimness, but she seemed…scared. She was staring at the shelves as though they were about to attack her. Which, for all Lauren knew, they were. She took a step backwards and looked at Evony.

“Okay…what’s up?”

Evony turned her head and glared at Lauren for a moment before stooping and grabbing a small rock from the dirt floor and tossing it towards the shelves. It made it to within a foot of the shelves before it hit some kind of field, glowing blue for a moment before vaporizing with a pop.

Lauren nodded. “Ah. I see.”

“You didn’t really think we’d leave things like this completely unprotected, did you?”

Lauren shrugged. “It’s not like it’s easy to get down here and find anything.”

Evony rolled her eyes. “Well, Doc, I found a perfect flaw in your plan. The one Fae with the power to disengage the force fields…you turned human.”

“Well, why did you bring me down here then?” Lauren demanded. “If you knew we wouldn’t be able to get what we needed?”

Evony took a step towards her. “I just thought it’d be a good place to…talk.” Lauren’s eyes had adjusted enough that she could see that Evony’s gaze wasn’t angry, but rather…intrigued.

She sighed. “What do you what to talk about, Evony?”

Evony looked down at the ground for a moment, and when her eyes met Lauren’s again, the doctor was shocked by the vulnerability in them. “Reversing it.”

Lauren stared at her, trying to determine if she was being genuine. “Evony, I took away your powers for a reason.”

“You…you violated me, Lauren,” Evony stated flatly. “You really did. You’re truly no better than a rapist. You took something that should be sacred and used it to hurt me.”

Lauren hated that thought. She tried to push aside the feeling that Evony was right. “Sex? Sacred? Evony, you’ve slept with every eligible Fae around.”

“Not just sex,” Evony insisted. “Sex…with you.”

Lauren rolled her eyes. “Now I know you’re just making things up. You don’t care about me, Evony. I was convenient, and it was fun while it lasted. You can’t try to make me feel bad about this. I’m sorry I had to do it the way I did, but it needed to be done. I took advantage of an opportunity.”

“Whatever,” Evony grumbled. “It was worth a try.”

“I really am sorry about using sex. That was pretty low,” Lauren admitted.

“I will get my powers back, Doctor. With or without you,” Evony promised.

“Yeah, yeah. And the first thing you’ll do is find and kill me. I get it. But, honestly, I’ve got higher priorities at the moment. So, in the meantime, can you please help with me our guchar problem?”

Evony rolled her eyes again. “Is she really worth it?”

“What?” Lauren asked.

“Your Succubus. Is she really worth all this?”

“This is about getting Kenzi back, Evony,” Lauren protested weakly.

“Sure, Doc. It’s not about making your girlfriend happy.”

They were quiet for a moment. Evony was about to speak, admit that she knew how to turn off the force field and it did not require Fae powers, when she heard Lauren.

“Yes,” she admitted quietly. “She is.”


	15. Chapter 15

Tamsin strode into the Dal, glancing around for Bo or Lauren. There was no sign of either of them, so she sank heavily onto a stool at the bar. She was considering reaching behind the bar for the bottle of vodka when Trick appeared. He frowned at her, like he had read her mind.

“Can I get you a drink, Tamsin?”

She nodded, and he poured her a shot. She emptied the glass and he refilled it.

“Now,” he said. “What’s this I hear about you breaking into the Underworld?”

She shrugged. “It’s an idea I had.”

“And you expect it will work?”

“If the Doc can pull off her side of the bargain, yeah. I think I’ve got everything else lined up.”

“And what do you expect to do once you get there?”

Tamsin smirked. “I expect to collect a bargaining chip.”

“What does that mean?”

“Don’t worry about it,” she told him, sighing. “It will either work or it won’t. If it doesn’t, Bo will be reunited with Kenzi anyway. Win win.

“Not for me, Tamsin,” Trick admonished. “Nor for Lauren, or Dyson, or all of the other people who care about Bo. And about you.”

“Listen, Blood King. If I can get Bo out alive, I will. She won’t like it, but I’ll do it. But I’ve lived a lot of long lives. If this is the last thing I do, I’m at peace with that.”

He shook his head. “Please don’t do this Tamsin.”

“Too late.” She swiveled around in the stood and stood up just as Bo and Lauren walked in. She noticed that they didn’t seem quite as close as they did before; there was a chill in the air between them.

“Well?” she asked, looking at Lauren. The doctor nodded.

“And I got a lot of weapons,” Bo added. “Real scary stuff. I can see why they locked it away.”

“Great,” Tamsin said. “Let’s get moving.”

Trick came out from behind the bar and grabbed Bo in a fierce hug. “Come back to me, Bo.”

She wouldn’t make a promise that she didn’t intend on keeping. She just hugged him back.

They piled into Tamsin’s truck and headed to Lauren’s apartment. On the way, Tamsin clarified some of the finer details of the plan, and Lauren started preparing the mixtures they’d need. They approached the apartment cautiously. There was no telling how strong the scædwian could have gotten. The door to the apartment was closed, and they gathered around it. Lauren sprinkled the guchar around the outside of the door, as well as the outer walls. That would hopefully help contain the scædwian once they started the ritual, keep it inside the apartment. She’d have to do the same to the windows from the inside once they got in.

Tamsin looked at Bo, then Lauren. “Are we ready?” They both nodded back solemnly, and Tamsin pushed open the door. The apartment, at first glance, looked calm. Tamsin scanned the room, breathing deep and allowing herself to sense the shadow. It was skulking by the floor in the far corner of the room. She stepped inside and immediately threw the powdered goatroot towards the corner. The scædwian let out an unearthly shriek, and Tamsin grinned. 

“Get ready,” she said.

Lauren rushed to the windows, sprinkling more of the guchar around each window and making a rough perimeter around the room. Tamsin made a large circle in the center of the room with the probilian essence.

“We’ve got to get it into the circle!” she called out.

Bo stepped forward. “On it,” she announced, moving slowly towards the corner of the room where the scædwian still lurked. As she moved closer, she could feel vibrations in the room, as if the shadow was beginning to quake. She pulled out one of the swords she found in the Archives. According to the documentation she found, it was enchanted with holy water, and anything Dark or fiendish would feel pain just from being near it. She swung it around a few times, getting a feel for it, before simply stabbing the corner where she knew the scædwian was. She couldn’t see it, but she felt it vibrate past her, trying to get farther away from the sword, shrieking again. It found itself face-to-face with Tamsin, who went full Valkyrie on it. They found themselves once again in a battle of wills, Tamsin using all of her powers to force it closer and closer to the circle in the center of the room. The shrieking was getting louder and louder, finally reaching a pitch that Bo couldn’t even hear. She was watching Tamsin’s face, screwed up in frustration and concentration, and finally saw the Valkyrie breath a deep sigh of relief as the scædwian fell into the circle, trapped. She spoke some words quickly in a language that Bo did not understand, and a light appeared in the center of the circle. The light got brighter and brighter until it was like a fire burning in Bo’s vision. Tamsin tossed more goatroot at the light, and it suddenly exploded, throwing everyone back into the walls. Tamsin was on her feet quickly, running towards the circle. Bo followed quickly behind after making sure Lauren was okay.

The scædwian was gone, banished into another dimension. In its place was a portal. At least, that’s what it looked like to Bo. It was bright, shimmering light, but if you looked right at it, you got the sense you were looking into someplace else. Tamsin looked at Bo.

“Are you ready?”

Bo took a deep breath and looked at Lauren. The human’s eyes were filled with tears.

“Bo,” she said quietly. “Please be careful. Please come back.”

Again, Bo could make no promises. She blew Lauren a kiss, and together, she and Tamsin stepped through the portal.

They stepped, quite literally, into hell. Bo was unprepared for how…hellish everything looked, though of course she should have known. She glanced at Tamsin, who remained unfazed.

There was fire everywhere. Bo immediately began sweating as she gazed around her. Flames flickered up the walls, or the walls were made of fire, she couldn’t tell. They were in a large room, but it felt suffocating. There was a larger fire burning in the center, like a bonfire. She didn’t see anyone at first sight, but then a young girl stepped into view.

“Tamsin?” she said incredulously. She looked about 16, with long, dark, hair falling in her face. She was wearing a flowing black dress, and she was barefoot.

“Hel,” she greeted her courteously. “How are you?”

The young girl ignored this. “What are you doing here? How did you get here?”

“That’s not important. Listen, Hel…I’m really sorry about this.”

Bo didn’t have time to react before Tamsin stepped forward quickly and grabbed the girl around her waist, placing a hand tightly over her mouth before it even occurred to her that she should scream. She looked up at Tamsin, confused, not alarmed. Tamsin nodded her head at the doorway.

“Come on,” she said to Bo. “This way. We don’t have much time.”

Tamsin led the way, holding Hel tightly, though she still wasn’t struggling. They found themselves in a long hallway, the walls still aflame. Bo was starting to get out of breath just being so close to so much heat.

“Tamsin,” she gasped as they walked. “Does it ever get colder?”

Tamsin grinned. “Welcome to the Underworld, Succubus.” She suddenly started and looked down at the girl in her arms. “Are you kidding me?” This was clearly directed at Hel, who managed to shake her head. Tamsin was quiet for a moment, then said, “you promise?”

Hel nodded, and Tamsin carefully removed her hand from the girl’s mouth. She flexed her jaw before smiling at Tamsin. “Thanks. My face was getting sore.”

“When did you learn telepathy?”

“When did you decide to kidnap me? Seriously, what the heck, Tamsin?”

Tamsin avoided her eyes. “It’s complicated.”

“Tell me. You’re obviously in trouble. Maybe I can help.”

At this point, Bo had to step in. “Um, sorry. But you do realize we’re kidnapping you, right?”

Hel looked at Bo for the first time, her head cocked. “Who’s this?”

Tamsin cleared her throat. “That’s Bo." 

“Hi Bo,” Hel greeted her, smiling. “No offense, but I’m not really scared of either of you. I don’t know where my guards are, but they won’t be far behind, and you’re really not a match for them. Plus,” she grinned up at Tamsin, “Tamsin and I go way back.”

“Um, you look, like, 12,” Bo retorted.

“Well, I’m not,” she answered. “I’m immortal, etc. etc. I’m actually older than Tamsin.”

Tamsin had been looking around the corridor and she suddenly pulled Hel into a small room off the hall. Bo followed quickly.

“Look,” she said to Hel, “I know this isn’t my best plan ever, but I need you. I have a friend. In Valhalla, but too soon. We’ve got to get her back.”

“And, what? You’re going to use me as a bargaining chip?”

“That was the general idea, yes.”

“I’m not sure I’m what you need, Tamsin. Uncle Odin probably wouldn’t trade me for an apple.”

“That’s not true. Even if he doesn’t give a shit about you, your dad does. He’ll make Odin listen.”

Hel shrugged, clearly unconcerned. “Well, listen. Even if I cooperate with you, you’re still going to have to fight. You know how the guards are. Though, I’m not sure where they are.” She glanced around and shrugged again.

“We’re prepared to fight,” Bo spoke up.

Hel gave her a patronizing smile, as if she were a vaguely annoying puppy. “I’m sure you’re very strong, Bo. But my guards are bred for the sole person of protecting me. That kind of calling makes you rigorous and a little crazy. Not a great combo for the people trying to hurt me.”

In one quick movement, Bo had a silver dagger pressed against Hel’s throat. This particular silver dagger she had found in the Archives. It was enchanted with a poison that would seep into your bloodstream and melt your bones from the inside. There was no cure.

“My best friend. The only person on this planet who knew and loved me unconditionally. My heart. She’s in Valhalla. And if you think her death hasn’t made me a little crazy,” Bo hissed, “then you are gravely misunderstanding the danger you are in. I would do, will do, anything to get her back. And if I die in the process…” she shrugged. “I’ll just join her. So I have literally nothing to lose.”

Tamsin knew Hel well enough to know that this particular threat didn’t actually scare her. But she could see the girl’s eyes soften slightly as she realized the stakes for the woman in front of her, holding a knife to her throat. She nodded slightly; she couldn’t move with the knife at her neck.

“Okay.”

This was enough for Bo; she dropped the blade and stepped backwards, panting slightly. Tamsin could see she was struggling to hold herself together. She fought every instinct to let go of Hel and embrace the Succubus. She had to stay focused if she was going to get Bo out of here alive.

She heard footsteps in the hallway, and clasped a hand over Hel’s mouth instinctively. The girl rolled her eyes, but didn’t object. They stayed silent as they waited for the footsteps to pass. Tamsin knew she had bought them a little extra time with whatever distraction Carla had come up with for the guard, but they were bound to catch up with them soon. She checked that the hallway was clear and gestured for Bo to follow.

It had been a while since Tamsin had been here. She was trying to remember the most efficient path to get them where they needed to go, but she eventually turned to Hel for guidance. The girl was compliant enough, guiding Tamsin telepathically until they reached the main throne room. They got lucky; it was empty.

Tamsin released Hel. “Okay, Princess. Your turn.”

“What? Carla didn’t tell you how to operate the portals?”

Tamsin’s jaw dropped and she gaped at the girl.

“You think I’m stupid, Tamsin? Whatever she did to distract the guards, it’s been working. Carla’s the only other person who can command them. She must have made up some semi-credible threat right at the changing of the guard.” She stared at Tamsin, hard. “The only thing I can’t figure out is why. I know Carla likes you. But she takes her responsibilities very seriously. You must have blackmailed her, though I don’t know with what.”

“Not blackmail,” Tamsin clarified. “Bribery.”

“Wow,” Hel responded shrewdly, understanding suddenly dawning in her eyes. “You must have offered her something really good. Something…godly?”

Tamsin avoided her gaze. “Look, are you going to get us out of here? They’ll be here any minute. I know we triggered alarms just by entering the throne room.”

She cocked her head. “I don’t know, Tamsin. I kind of what to see what Bo is made of.”

Tamsin took a deep breath. They were running out of time and options. She had told Bo to prepare for a fight, but she had hoped it wouldn’t come to that. The guards of Hel were truly unpleasant. But she knew this was a test. Hel wanted them to prove that this cause was worth it to them. Before she could come up with an argument to persuade her otherwise, she heard the telltale sounds of the royal guard on its way to the throne room, and she turned to Bo.

“Well, Succubus. Here comes that fight.”

Bo nodded. She carefully withdrew a sword that seemed to be glowing, and Hel nodded approvingly. They turned to face the entrance, waiting for the guards to appear.

And appear they did. Larger than a normal human, muscular like a bodybuilder, and with the head of a slathering dog, the guards rushed into the room by the dozens. Tamsin locked on to the head guard with her Valkyrie stare while Bo started slashing with her sword. They managed to take out the first wave fairly easily, but more kept coming. Bo had lost her sword somehow and was now alternating between enchanted blades. Tamsin had grabbed a crossbow and was shooting, but they were losing. The guards were ravenous for blood, sensing a direct threat to their princess.

Bo suddenly let out a piercing scream. Tamsin whipped her head to look at her, worried she was hurt. But Bo threw her weapons to the ground as her eyes burned blue. She stared at the guards, who froze, unsure how to proceed. She began to inhale deeply, and Tamsin and Hel both watched as she drained the life from the several dozen guards still alive. They dropped to the ground in one swift motion, and Bo staggered backwards. Her eyes were the deepest blue Tamsin had ever seen. Even Hel looked shocked.

Tamsin took a tentative step towards Bo, reaching for her, but Bo shook her head violently.

“NO! Just get us out of here, Tamsin.” She was breathing heavily, power coursing through her.

Tamsin nodded and looked at Hel. Without another objection, she turned to the fire pit in the center of the room and, speaking a few words, a fire sprung up. The flames were a deep emerald color, and she looked at Bo and Tamsin as she stepped into them. “Come along then.”

Bo and Tamsin followed her, feeling the flames lightly tickle their skin as they were surrounded. The world began to spin, and then stopped, abruptly, as they landed on the floor in front of the fireplace at the Dal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey friends. Delay doesn't even really begin to cover it. But hey! I have the last four chapters, plus an epilogue, mapped out, so the end is in sight. Thanks for sticking with me. I hope you enjoy.


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